


Hot Messes and Mornings After

by RicepaperDoll (teaspeak)



Category: Oresama Sensei | Oresama Teacher
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, Gen, Harems, Humor, Multi, Mystery, Post-Series, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Friendship, Suspense, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2017-11-28 01:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/668492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaspeak/pseuds/RicepaperDoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Introducing Mafuyu, the college graduate. Having had no contact with Saeki for the past three years and living a rather mundane life, it gets shaken up again with a "crash into hello," a single bed, and a new set of Saeki Takaomi's problems. AU future-fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Idle Summer Days

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Applies for all chapters. Oresama Teacher is not mine. If it was, Mafuyu would have experienced an incredible amount of unresolved sexual tension with everyone multiple times by now.
> 
> Note: AU future-fic, after the manga's expected ending. This takes place three years after Mafuyu's graduation from high school. In this fic, Mafuyu attended and graduated from a three-year junior college program (basically, a local college that offers an undergraduate degree, especially for women in Japan).

A soft summer wind gently rustled the cheap linen curtains.

On other days, like when she first got them from the flea market, their yellow hues would make her smile and remind her of the sun. But today, it was just one of _those_ days...

The sun was too bright and streams of light were filtering intrusively through the curtains in the rather plain apartment. Humidity made the air moist and wet, and the air conditioner from the inside of the apartment managed to give a feeble breeze that left condensation collecting like beads of sweat in the corners of the window. The light chirping of cicadas was heard outside and a precarious arm wriggled out from under the covers of a futon.

_Smack._

The alarm clock flew to the other side of the wall, cracking in several places as it rebounded against the white plaster.

_Stupid alarm clock..._

Hand resting over her eyes, Kurosaki Mafuyu at twenty years old did not know what the _hell_ she was doing with her life.

She rubbed her face, slapping her cheeks until she was fairly awake. It was the fourth time this week that she had woken up so early in the morning in such an agitated state.

"Ugh. What time is it?"

Brown eyes squinted blearily at the digital clock to check out the time in the dim room. Her eyes rolled back in exasperation as she plopped back in bed. _7 in the morning in the middle of August._ It was one hundred degrees outside; she had nowhere to go. Rolling in the sheets, Mafuyu wiped her brow with her night shirt's sleeve. "Ah, it's too hot to think."

Getting up and shaking off her drowsiness, Mafuyu made her way to the kitchen and found yesterday's newspaper. Sunlight from outside illuminated the room in soft hues. The lights remained off as she took a seat at the low table in the living room. She flipped the newspaper open to the employment ad pages.

"...I need a job."

It was a little over three summers ago since she had completed high school at Midori Ga Oka Academy. Graduation was now a distant blur filled with goodbyes and good lucks, and from the few years she spent there, the ride she had was a wild one. The Disciplinary Club flourished with Saeki-sensei's unconventional tactics and in the end, they finally managed to succeed in reinstating Saeki's position as chairman of the school.

Student body president Hanabusa Miyabi was probably his sparkliest that day as he stood by his father during the negotiation plans in the chairman's office. Smiling his deadly enigmatic smile, his cunning eyes caught Mafuyu's as she stood outside the office eavesdropping. She could have sworn she heard a _"That was a fun game while it lasted, eh, Kurosaki-san?"_ as he turned to follow his father complacently at the door, a small, graceful wave in her direction on the last day of classes. His real alliance was never made clear, even at the very end.

As for the club itself, the group had slowly disbanded, but remained close, despite the infrequent meetings and the difficulty of keeping in touch over long distances. Hayasaka passed his entrance exams for college and made it into a nice university in Osaka, while Mafuyu herself decided it was best for her to enter a local three-year junior college around the area. Hayasaka never did find out about Usa-Chan Man and Natsuo's real identities, and during the last week of school, Mafuyu had to do a lot of running around to make his final wishes and farewells come true.

Mafuyu didn't realize it had already been about a year since she last saw Banchou either. Apparently, Okegawa Kyoutaro worked a couple of part-time jobs and made ends meet while he got around to completing his college work. Nekomata-san still remained his favorite character, and more and more, she thought that he would want to quit his part-time shifts to chase after dreams of becoming a romance novelist or a screenwriter for the Nekomata series. Shinobu Yui was the same as ever as well, remaining unwaveringly serious as he divulged his secret shinobi techniques. He eventually went off to follow his beloved President to a university in Tokyo. And from the last time she heard from him, Shibuya Aki finished his final year at Midori Ga Oka and passed his exams to go to a vocational school overseas.

Last but not least, there was that guy...Saeki Takaomi.

After receiving the chairman position at the school, he passed it on to his grandfather, who managed the school for a few months until his final days. The last time she really saw Takaomi-kun was about three years ago when she paid her condolences to his family at the funeral. Since then, he mysteriously left. The apartment next door that was once his remained unoccupied, completely untouched.

Busy with her own life, she hadn't even had the chance to get in contact with him since that day. She was just starting college at the time.

 _Takaomi-kun._ She had to wonder...

_What was he doing right now? Where had he gone? Is he still fulfilling his duties as the school's chairman after Ojii-san?_

At the funeral, despite his inability to reach out to anyone, Takaomi-kun made an effort to be his normal self around her that day. Ruffling her hair affectionately with a brash grin, Takaomi said to her his last message as she was about to leave to go home. "Mafuyu. Next time I see you, I want to be impressed by how much you've grown. Good luck in college."

_Good luck._

_Good luck in..._

Her eyes reduced themselves to unimpressed squints.

_'Good luck?' What the hell was that? And what did he mean 'by how much I've grown?' By how much..._

She looked down at her chest reflectively. Grabbing her boobs unceremoniously, she squeezed.

 _Eh._ Not quite a B-cup anymore, but not quite a C-cup? Was that right?

_B...and a half cup?_

Mafuyu snorted, slapping herself mentally for trying to understand. _Ugh. Perverted old man._

While it had been a heavy atmosphere during that time, Mafuyu found that last message rather troublesome, irritating and heartwarming all at once. Why he was trying to look out for her and wishing her good luck, she could understand. But the fact that she hadn't received any messages from him after that, or hadn't even seen him since the funeral, was cruelly unsettling to her.

_When was 'next time' going to be?_

She had even tried calling him for help on numerous occasions and had gone to the school to ask for the chairman a few times, but after a while, she stopped calling. After all, there had been no activity inside his apartment next door since then...

To put it simply, Saeki Takaomi was missing.

Or rather, he did not want to be found.

During the three years of his unexplained absence, she had gone from being confused, to being worried, to being angry, to being frustrated, to being hurt and depressed, and back again. Now, her emotions had finally settled into a quiet sense of indifference, one that was close to her current mellow temperament, a far cry from her days of delinquency. And despite her efforts to reach Takaomi-kun, and her strong desire to search for him at the school, there was something that stopped her.

The times she had thought of him over the three years had decreased dramatically since she got involved in her school work, but it was only now since she graduated and had all this free time that he started to plague her mind...

_"Next time I see you...I want to be impressed."_

Impressed? What did he mean by that?

She looked at her current state now. A student recently graduated from a junior college program with no job and barely enough to pay the rent. Ah yes, that's right...

Because of a few financial mishaps in the family business she worked for, the part-time job that she held on to had been terminated, and these last few weeks, she had been downsizing her living expenses so she could pay off next month's rent. The ramen and bento boxes alone were to account for her sad state of living. Well, this is where her college degree came in, isn't it?

Setting aside her newspaper, Mafuyu downed the rest of the water in one swoop with a determined glint in her eye. Looking through ads, waking up at ungodly hours, ruminating like a sad old man...she had to put a stop to this pitifully slow existence. It had already been two months since college graduation.

"Ah...alright. Time to impress."

Gathering her materials and circling a few of the ads, she made her way to her apartment's balcony in a loose t-shirt and sat in a chair, facing the sun to mull over various employment positions.

About three years of wanting to see him again, of finally getting back to thinking about him, she was going to make herself into quite the impressive force when he finally came to see her. And if he did not return from his absence by the time she achieved her goals of getting a good job and steady pay, well...she was going to pull his dirty pervert ass out of the hole he was hiding in and bring him back into her life.

Even if he was the Takaomi-kun whom she respected and was terrified of at times, she had grown up to be a lady all by herself, and he would see that. _Right?_

_BANG! BANG!_

Startled from her dazed reverie, Mafuyu sat up from the sudden noise. She jerked around. Knocking at the door?

_BANG!_

The knocking continued. It sounded like it was from outside of a neighboring door. Instead of knocking, it was more like someone trying to break in... _at 7 o'clock in the morning. Geez._ Pulling on a pair of shorts, Mafuyu did not know whether to feel excited or irritated by the noise. It totally broke up her monotonous day, but really? 7 in the morning? Whatever. Pattering to the front of her apartment with bare feet, Mafuyu yanked her door open and stuck her head out to face the direction of the noise.

"YAH! WILL YOU PLEASE BE QUIET—"

Mafuyu froze mid-sentence, her mouth wide open. She could not understand the scene before her. In fact, it was absurd.

A tall man in a surgical mask and sunglasses momentarily stared back at her, with his arm ramming against the old door of Saeki Takaomi's abandoned apartment. He was dressed in nothing but a thin tank top and jeans, displaying his towering and lean muscular physique.

He momentarily paused to look at her. After a few moments, he continued on his way to breaking down the door.

Obviously, he didn't see her as a threat. Mafuyu took a deep breath before making her next move. She wasn't going to regret this.

"YAH. Just what the hell do you think you're doing, you creep?"

Mafuyu made her way outside, clenching her fists sporadically. She could feel her heartbeat ringing loudly in her ears. Beads of sweat from the oppressive heat started to collect at the crown of her head. "It's early in the morning and people are still sleeping. If you don't stop what you're doing, I'm going to call the cops—"

As soon as she had spoken these last words, the assailant's fist flew up to hit her in the face. Mafuyu's eyes widened. Her left arm flew up reflexively as she deflected the blow. Her arm wavered. It had been a while since she had finally mellowed out her yankee roots, but this fight—it made her mind spin and her blood boil in a way all too familiar. There was something foreboding about the man in the mask. His aura was dark and oppressive. Truthfully, she had never felt such power to this degree in her life. She was stunned beyond all expectations.

Fighting him was another story. The strange man's fists came up at her at odd angles, and the only thing she could do to protect herself was to dodge his attacks. Her arms and foot movement were too sluggish against this man. Was it perhaps too long since she had done this? Or...was this man simply too strong for her to beat? Her journey of trying to become a reformed young lady of society had finally paid off, but now, when she needed her strength the most...

Well, enough of that.

Pulling back, Mafuyu charged toward the man with a roundhouse kick, who parried the attack instantaneously. Damn. Better to move to the offense. She could feel her breath getting quicker and more labored as she dealt blows to the assailant's shoulders. She wasn't one to let up in this type of situation.

Slowly but surely, the man was moving back. Yeah, that was it. Just a little bit more...

Mafuyu could see herself winning this fight. His movements were growing lax, and his coordination was starting to fall apart...

_There, an opening!_

Mafuyu drew back her fist to land a blow to the man's face. This would be it. In a blind fury, she sent her arm sailing.

It never connected. She looked up.

A large hand had flown up to effortlessly catch her fist.

Then the man did something completely unexpected.

He chuckled.

Mafuyu trembled involuntarily at the sound. Swallowing, she cringed at how dry the back of her throat felt. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Oi, that's it. I'm going to scream—mmfph!"

Without warning, a large hand went up to her mouth and an arm wrapped around her small frame. In response, Mafuyu thrashed around violently, hoping to free herself from the man's clutches. The man's grip only got tighter, threatening to crush her abdomen. _He is too strong, dammit..._

Mafuyu was pushed into her open apartment door, the man landing on top of her as they lay sprawled on the hardwood floor. A sharp pain shot up in her leg as they collided together, causing Mafuyu to let out a muffled yelp. The wind was knocked out of her completely. In their awkward position, the man took the opportunity to kick the door with his foot, slamming it shut.

The apartment was dim and silent, only the sounds of their heavy panting permeating the silence as they caught their breath. Occasional rustling of clothes and muffled protests broke the monotony of their breathing as Mafuyu continuously struggled in vain to free herself from his grasp. As the man lay close, Mafuyu could smell the scent of sweat and musk on his skin. The sweltering darkness of the room coupled with the strong scent of sweat was making her dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut.

_Damn it...my eyes haven't adjusted yet..._

Trying to get a bearing of her surroundings, she glared warily at the man, trying to find an opening. A fear that she had never felt before started to sink into her bones. Pressing his hand more forcefully against her mouth, the man lowered his lips to her ear. A deep, smooth voice broke the silence.

"Don't speak and don't move if you know what's good for you." Hot breath tickled her face as he spoke.

Mafuyu could feel the beads of sweat running down her forehead increase.

_Holy shit._

A strange man in a mask on top of her, in her apartment, early in the morning. No one to hear her. She strained to listen to the cicadas chirping outside and compared it to the deafening heartbeat resounding in her ears.

She took a deep breath through her nose before her next action...

"Mmmmfphhh—AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Mafuyu screamed as she doubled her efforts to free herself. Tears started to form in the corners of Mafuyu's eyes. She did _not_ want to remain in a situation like this!

According to the dateline criminal television shows she had been watching late at night, situations like this only meant two things: either you were about to be raped, or murdered by a serial killer.

This was not how things were supposed to end!

Not this way, for Kurosaki Mafuyu, legendary banchou and former delinquent!

Flipping their positions, Mafuyu sent her and her captor flying into the side of her low dining table, hitting her shin against a table leg in the process. Ignoring the pain, her hands flew to the table for an item, _any_ item that would allow her to gain control somehow...

Her hand found the glass she was drinking from earlier.

_SMASH._

Fragmented glass littered the floor as the cup burst into a million pieces next to the strange man's head.

Shit, she missed.

But at least it was enough to let her get away. Scrambling up to gain distance, Mafuyu stumbled over to the other side of the table to stand in front of her living room couch, picking up a vase sitting on the drawers. Looking up, she raised her arm and hardened her gaze.

"Don't come any closer," Mafuyu spoke in a deadly tone. She managed to eradicate the waver in her voice.

The man dusted himself off and carefully stepped over the shards. He ran a hand through his hair, revealing small cuts from the glass along his temple and ear.

"Maa, Mafuyu, I wish you wouldn't make this harder than it already is..."

In the midst of struggling to maintain her threatening demeanor, she blinked.

 _Mafuyu...?_ He knew her name _too_?

Mafuyu shivered at the alarming leniency the man displayed towards her. The bastard was totally playing with her. She started to tremble violently again. At this point, it really looked as if she were about to be raped...

The man advanced on her slowly, swaggering as he closed the distance between them in the living room.

Slowly, he took off his sunglasses.

Then the mask was peeled off.

Eyes widening, Mafuyu stood silently, shell-shocked at the incomprehensible event that was taking place in front of her.

Finally, the man stopped a bare inch away in front of her frozen body.

Mafuyu didn't even realize her knuckles bleaching from the immense pressure as her fingers involuntarily tightened around the vase she was holding.

Sharp, dark eyes remained locked in a gaze with hers. A warm, large hand moved to grasp the vase, gently prying off her fingers one by one to set down the glassware on the low table. A soft clink was all that was heard in the dark apartment. Mafuyu and her captor remained in silence for a few minutes, until her knees gave and she fell back into the sofa, staring blankly.

There stood Saeki Takaomi, the man whom she had not seen or heard from in three years, handsome face set into a smirk as he looked down at her.

Saeki Takaomi, who was breaking into his own apartment on an August morning.

Saeki Takaomi, that bastard...

"..."

Brushing off the extra glass from his left shoulder, Saeki Takaomi took in the image before him.

Kurosaki Mafuyu, twenty years old and a college graduate. Her short brown hair plastered in thin threads around her rosy cheeks, a light sheen of sweat giving her a lively glow. She had the same wide brown eyes, staring at him with an emotion akin to wonderment and bewilderment. Thin frame as always. Lanky. Petite. Small but powerful hands clenched into tight fists. He reached down, drawing up the wide collar of her loose t-shirt that was slipping off her shoulders to cover her tenderly.

Heaving between breaths, Mafuyu struggled to form a sentence. She reached out a finger to point at him.

"Y-you—"

"Ah, Mafuyu...you've grown." He immediately cut her off, letting out an exasperated sigh and a light chuckle. A hand ran through his hair once again, revealing a soft grin on his face. "But did you really think you could beat me even now?"

After a few long moments of silence in the room, he broke the gaze and silently turned around to clean up the broken glass on the floor.

As he knelt down, he suddenly stopped in the midst of what he was doing, and threw a weary glance at her over his shoulder.

"Ah, yeah. By the way, put on a bra. I can see everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N.**  
>  So, I come bearing a gift to our beloved _Oresama Teacher_ fandom...I'm starting a multi-chapter fic! I haven't written fanfiction in years or posted anything publicly before, so here is my attempt to get back into it. I don't know how long this story will be yet, but it will hopefully have about ten chapters or so, depending on how well this plot takes off.
> 
> The characters are a little different from their in-manga personalities, since this takes place about five years after the current time in the series, so I apologize if there are any characterization issues while I write this fic.


	2. New Roommate

After her time as banchou of Higashi High, and her life in college and high school, there were only a few things that ever really got to Mafuyu. She was used to almost always never being surprised.

That is why, when the humid air swallowed up the space in front of her, clouding her vision, it took a few seconds for Mafuyu to comprehend the full impact of Takaomi's indecent comment hitting her square in the face.

_"Put on a bra. I can see everything."_

_Guh._

Mafuyu's face burned in embarrassment as her arms instantly flew up to cover her chest.

_SEXUAL HARASSMENT!_

Looking down, Mafuyu noted that the front of her t-shirt had become partially saturated with sweat, areas of her skin visible through the thin material. She shuddered. She had forgotten the effect his teasing had on her. _Damn that dirty old man._ With flaming eyes, her gaze followed Takaomi as he settled into a comfortable spot on the ground. He cleaned up the mess with his back towards her in silence.

Prior to her life in college, Mafuyu honestly wouldn't have thought once about this situation being something out of the ordinary; no, not at all.

But today, she really couldn't believe it.

Still in a dazed stupor, she stared unblinkingly at Takaomi's strong back and broad shoulders. Her eyes followed in strained concentration and watched how his shoulder blades would move each time he picked up a shard of glass, piece by piece. She blinked hard. It really was him. _Well._ _I'll be damned._

Was something _this_ ridiculous really happening to her?

As she sat huddled on the couch stone-faced, Mafuyu's mind was going at one hundred miles per hour. Rage, anger, frustration, confusion, happiness—all the emotions she could have felt towards the current predicament had come and smacked her in the face tenfold, sending her reeling back, completely overwhelmed. She had worried long and hard about where her childhood friend and teacher could have been, but now he was here...safe and sound, and _not_ missing. Overcome with the inexplicable need to sob violently from relief, Mafuyu frowned at herself and quickly tore her eyes away from his back and swallowed.

 _Well, first things first_ , she reminded herself. _Questions must be answered._

"Takaomi-kun," she hesitated, breaking the silence. Mafuyu bit her tongue at how stupid she sounded. It was as if she was saying his name for the first time.

The soft clink of glass was heard as a lull of silence took over. No answer.

Mafuyu shifted uncomfortably. Raising her head, she stared at his back once more, willing herself to speak and take control of the situation.

"Hey, Takaomi-kun," she called out to him in a louder, more assertive voice. Realizing that he wasn't going to answer, she followed up with a question. "Why are you here?"

She steeled herself for his impending reaction. The silence was deafening as her words hung in the air.

She saw him momentarily pause before resuming his work on the floor. Suddenly, he pulled back his hand, hissing softly. "Ah...ouch."

She could hear him muttering to himself. Turning slightly towards her, but not meeting her eyes, Takaomi motioned to her, raising his hand indolently. His finger was bleeding.

"Mafuyu, show me where your bandages are. I cut myself."

Losing herself in his voice for a moment, Mafuyu shook her head before gathering herself on her feet to walk towards him. This was not the time for her to be celebrating the fact that he was here in the flesh, in front of her, goddamn it! _Focus, focus._

Gingerly stepping over the glass, she stopped, crossing her arms as she hovered above him.

"Hey, stop ignoring me. Answer my questions first. Why the hell are you here? Where have you been? What have you been doing?" Mafuyu's voice rose in volume until she was almost shouting. She could feel the hysterical tone in her voice increase each time she thought more and more about why she was asking him such questions.

 _How dare he show up like this after so long and ignore her! Why didn't he contact her?_ Growing impatient, she let out a harsh breath. She reached down to grab his shoulder. "YAH—"

A bleeding hand shot out from Takaomi's side and caught her wrist. He held on, his grip unyielding. "Get me a bandage first, and then I'll tell you," he said, facing away from her. He released her hand roughly.

Mafuyu winced internally at his tone, rubbing her wrist as he let go.

_Great...now he's being difficult..._

In the sweltering heat, her mind was still swimming with thoughts. The overexertion from the fight earlier reminded her of how sweaty and tired she was, and in short, from all that happened in the hour since she had woken up this morning, she felt emotionally drained.

"Fine," she spoke resignedly, her small feet padding across the hardwood floor to the bathroom. "Wait here and don't pick up any more glass. I'll get a dustpan." She shook her head in annoyance, rubbing her temples as she left.

At this, Takaomi looked up, curiously watching the young woman disappear from his sight and sat back, leaning to watch her as she rounded the corner. A grin tugged at his lips as he gingerly touched the bleeding wounds on his forehead and winced.

"Tch. Still the same Mafuyu..."

* * *

A few moments later, and Mafuyu was sitting with Takaomi on the couch at a distance, watching him wrap his arms methodically with gauze. She didn't know how it had come to this: her old high school teacher and childhood friend was bandaging his arms from the wounds that _she_ had inflicted, after she had mistaken him to be an attempted rapist. _An attempted rapist!_ She mentally grimaced at the many inappropriate images that flashed through her mind. _Ugh._

A dustpan sat next to the area by the low living room table, the glass already swept up and thrown into the wastebasket. Resting her chin on her hand, Mafuyu evaluated him critically. After another long stretch of silence, she spoke up.

"So...why are you at Strawberry Heights?"

Takaomi did not look up from his task of wrapping his arm, answering as nonchalantly as possible. "Wanted to get into my apartment. Didn't have the key."

Mafuyu wanted to scoff at his ridiculously curt answer. Hadn't he been gone for the past three years? He hadn't visited his apartment at all during that time. Not _once_. Why did he come now?

Mafuyu raised her chin, looking at him skeptically through her lashes.

"So you're saying that you forgot your keys."

"I lost them," came the quick reply. A beat passed as he cut another length from the roll of gauze to bandage his arm.

"You... _lost_ them?" Mafuyu's eyes widened. She couldn't believe her ears.

"I left them somewhere and now I can't find them. I needed to get inside." Takaomi stayed thoroughly concentrated on swabbing the small cuts on his other arm.

"You left them somewhere and now you can't find them," Mafuyu repeated blankly. Her face started to heat up at the absurdity of his explanations. He was totally bullshitting her. "You lost your keys. Yeah, right. You lost them three years ago? Is _that_ it?"

Takaomi looked up from his task and stared her in the eye, completely straight-faced. "Yes. I lost them. I couldn't come back here, because _they_ were looking for me. I had to stay in hiding for a while. Now that _they_ wouldn't dare look for me at this apartment, I can come back. But I can't find my key. I can't ask the landlord for an extra one. No one can know about my presence here." He spoke matter-of-factly, in simple sentences.

Mafuyu's brows furrowed as she tried to understand his story. " _They_? Who are _they_? Who is looking for you?"

Takaomi continued as if he didn't hear her question. "And because I can't get inside mine, you are going to let me stay here, in your apartment."

Head snapping up, she scowled disbelievingly with livid eyes.

"Wait...wha—no! You can't do that! I won't let you!"

Takaomi shrugged and calmly went back to dressing his wounds. "Yes you will."

"No I won't! Why would you think I would let you do that!"

"Yes you will. Because I'm your sensei." Takaomi didn't even try to hide his smirk as he looked up to meet her flustered gaze with playful eyes.

Mafuyu sat back sputtering, her face beet red. "Like hell you are! That was over three years ago!" At this point, she was caught in between laughing hysterically at his ludicrous behavior and bashing him over the head with her fist. She didn't think she could take any more of this outrageous situation. She wouldn't fall for anymore tactics and get to the bottom of his story this time, for sure. "And who the hell are you hiding from? Stop avoiding my questions and changing the subject!"

Takaomi's eyebrows shot up incredulously. "If I tell you who _they_ are, you'd have to pretend to be my wife for the next year or so until it's over." He averted his gaze and frowned. "Actually, I'd rather not get you involved. It's a pain in the ass as it is now..."

Mafuyu faltered. _Pretend? His...wife?_ She didn't want to know what type of implications was attached to his responses. Judging from what she was hearing, she couldn't even imagine what type of mess he had gotten himself into now. To distract herself from jumping to more embarrassing conclusions, she cleared her throat and searched for more questions to ask. "W-well...why did you attack me? What about the school? Weren't you chairman?"

"The school is fine. I've been administering the school through a network of trusted colleagues serving as my representatives. It's been very difficult," he said reflectively, eyebrows furrowing. "And as for fighting you, well...I was surprised myself. Couldn't have you call the cops or scream, you know."

"Uh..." _Oh yeah. That's right._ Mafuyu remembered threatening him...

"So because you've given me all of these injuries, I'm sleeping here," Takaomi said self-assuredly, sitting back as he started to move up to treat the injuries on his neck from the glass. He yawned loudly. "Ah, I've been up on the run since last night..."

"O-on the run? I mean, no...no you're not!" Mafuyu found it more and more impossible to argue with him, not that she ever learned how to say no to Saeki Takaomi in the first place. She hadn't even learned anything yet from this conversation they were having. "I'm not letting you stay here!"

Takaomi paused mid-yawn and narrowed his eyes at her refusal. "Oh...?"

"I-I just graduated from college! And I'm a young, single lady! What do you think this is going to look like to the people who live next door?" Mafuyu tightened her lips and stared at him purposefully. He could not refuse her argument this way, right?

"Well, I live on one side of your apartment, so that just means you only have to worry about one other neighbor..." Takaomi said over Mafuyu's further protests, scratching the back of his head. Suddenly, he perked up, eyes shining. "Eh...so you graduated from college already? Congratulations."

Taken by surprise at his sudden enthusiasm, Mafuyu nodded. "Uh, yes." She didn't like how he would just change the subject so quickly.

"Mmm. Does that mean that you've found a job?"

Mafuyu self-consciously looked to the side. "Not yet. Well...I mean, I had one, but..."

Takaomi's eyes lit up with barely concealed anticipation. "Ahh. I see."

Mafuyu sat back, startled. She looked personally affronted and disturbed by his expression.

"Ah, I mean to ask...what have you got to eat around here?" Takaomi quickly went back to bandaging himself, his eyes avoiding her gaze distractedly.

Answering warily, she looked a bit dejected. "Not very much. I have a few snacks from the convenience store..."

"Hmm." He looked deep in thought. "So...what if I told you that I'd help you find a job and I'll pay for your living expenses from now on?" Takaomi leaned over towards her, eyes half-lidded as he waited for her response.

Heat rising in her cheeks, Mafuyu laughed nervously. "Ah, well...I couldn't ask you for a favor like that, but it would be nice—"

Takaomi immediately stood up from his seat on the couch and stretched. His face broke out into a triumphant grin. "Then it's settled. You shall work for me from now on. And I'm living here until further notice. Case closed. Ah, it's great to have finally found a place..."

"HEY...TAKAOMI-KUN. I DIDN'T SAY YOU CAN DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT—"

Ignoring her, Takaomi started to walk around the apartment, heading over to explore the kitchen and other rooms in the complex. He waved his hand nonchalantly as he disappeared around a corner. "You owe me now, Mafuyu..."

"YAH! YOU COME BACK HERE—"

His voice carried down the corridor as he opened a door. "Ah...so this is the bedroom? Cute curtains. I think I'm going to head to bed for a nap, okay?"

Mafuyu, for the second time that day, sat absolutely shell-shocked at the event that was taking place. Snapping out of her daze, she scrambled to her feet, running to the bedroom.

"NO, TAKAOMI-KUN, NO YOU CAN'T—"

"Night, Mafuyu!" The door slammed in her face just as she reached the room.

"YAH! OPEN UP, YOU BASTARD!" Mafuyu screamed. Desperately, she tried to jiggle the doorknob.

It was locked.

"That's it, I'm going to pound on this door...UNTIL YOU COME OUT!" Mafuyu threw herself against the door, much like she had seen Takaomi do when he was outside of his apartment just a few hours before. The hinges creaked slightly. She smashed her fists against the door frame. The walls shook as dust fell from the ceiling.

"GET OUT OF THERE! YAH!"

* * *

It was about five minutes until she gave up pounding on the door. Panting heavily, Mafuyu slumped on the side of the wall, exhausted.

She pulled herself up to her feet, dragging her body to the kitchen to get another cup of water.

In the corner of her eye, she caught the clock hanging above her refrigerator.

9:30 AM.

Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits as she let out a groan. _Ugh._ It was too fucking hot and early in the morning to be doing something like this. Pulling up a chair and taking a seat at the kitchen counter, she rested her forehead on the cool granite surface. She closed her eyes, letting her mind settle for a bit.

_...The fuck._

Her day of idleness had turned into a crazy situation. What the hell was this mess? Mafuyu tried not to think about it, trying to focus on how the cool surface of the granite counter soothed her chaotic mind. At times like this, she would have wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and let her worries dissolve into a dreamless sleep.

But unfortunately, _that guy_ had locked himself in her room at the moment...

She grit her teeth at the thought.

Rubbing her temples, Mafuyu tried to reassess the situation. What if she simply called the police? No, she couldn't do that. After finding out the strange man _was_ Takaomi, the excitement of finally seeing him again and the imminent fear of facing his demonic wrath was enough to keep that option out of the question. She felt like she needed to tell somebody about this situation though.

Jumping up, she searched around for her cell phone. After college, it was nice to know that her contact list ballooned to a whopping ten numbers, not including her parents at her home residence. Yeah, that's right. She had a network! She could call the few girl friends she had from college to tell them about the situation. After all, they were supposed to be confidantes, right?

But calling them...what would she say?

" _Oh, heysies, Momoko-chan! How are you doing? You just finished watching that favorite drama of yours, didn't you? Ah, well...there's a strange man inhabiting my room right now. Do you think I can stay with you at your place? Or perhaps, do you think you'd like to scheme with me to get rid of the dirty bastard? You would? Yes? Oh, great...you're such a sweetheart! Tee-hee!"_

Yeah...

There was _no way in hell_.

Mafuyu shuddered at the thought. How could she possibly ruin the perfect relationships she cultivated with the girls in college? She was already a full-fledged lady; her femininity was at stake. She couldn't go to them for this type of problem. She couldn't even imagine what they'd say if she told them she could theoretically punch out their boyfriends with the strength she had…

It had to be someone who knew Takaomi-kun. Finding her cell phone resting on the kitchen table by the outlet, she rifled through her numbers and decided to call her most trusted friend from high school. Pressing 'dial,' she held the phone up to her ear. It rang twice until a male voice answered. "Hello?"

"Ah...Hayasaka-kun?" Mafuyu's heart started to race once she heard his voice. It had been a while since she called him. She realized just how much she missed him when he answered.

"Kurosaki. What's up?"

"Ah, umm...well, how are you?" She couldn't just jump in to tell him what happened, especially since they hadn't talked in a long time. She started to wring her hands in her lap, the sweat from her hands leaving a stain on her t-shirt.

"Just fine. Listen, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have an appointment with someone in a few minutes...do you think we can talk later?"

Mafuyu could feel herself panicking. She had to tell him. It was now or never. "Ah—NO! I mean, wait, Hayasaka-kun. What if I told you that I ran into Saeki-sensei today? What if—"

"Kurosaki, I'm sorry, but I really have to go now. Besides, Saeki has been missing for a while now. I promise I'll call you later, okay?" _Click._ The dial tone replaced his voice after a few seconds.

Hanging up her phone, Mafuyu collapsed in her chair in stunned silence. Staring blankly, she looked up at the ceiling. In the middle of August, everyone was either busy with activities, or getting back into preparing for the school year. Hayasaka must have been busier than usual, since this was his final year at the four-year university he was attending. Forcing herself to sit up, Mafuyu closed her eyes to listen to the weak whirr of the fan above, as she continued to brainstorm.

What else could she do? Most of her things were crammed in her bedroom, and Takaomi-kun had locked himself inside, along with any item that might have been useful to her. What else...

_Aha!_

Suddenly leaping to her feet, Mafuyu ran to the hall closet, pulling open the door to reach up among the higher shelves. She dug around the top shelf, disregarding the towels, dish rags and blankets that fell and littered the floor during her search. _It's got to be around here somewhere..._

"Yes! Found it." Mafuyu triumphantly held up the spare keys to the rooms in her apartment. She started to chuckle evilly.

"This will show him..."

Walking unhurriedly to her bedroom door, Mafuyu pushed in the key, jiggled it a bit and twisted the doorknob. She would burst in there and kick out Takaomi as soon as possible. Any chance would be fine. It was only a matter of time...

However, to her surprise, the door was yanked open from the other side.

"AHH! What the—"

Mafuyu stumbled forward, a hard chest breaking her fall. Hesitantly, she looked up.

"Mafuyu. What do you think you're doing?"

While his voice remained smooth and pleasant, the grin on Takaomi's face was positively demonic. His hair, longer than she had imagined, fell into his eyes, making his glare ten times scarier than she remembered. Mafuyu had to force herself to keep her ground as she met his gaze.

Eyes suddenly shifting to the key in her hand, Mafuyu remembered why she was there. Clearing her throat, she brandished the keys towards him, her face settling into a serious business-like expression.

"Takaomi-kun. You can't stay here. Please find some other place to stay. Please—"

Hardly listening to her, Takaomi snatched the keys away from her and threw them across to the other side of the room. They both watched as the keys sailed across the floor, landing next to the open door of the balcony attached to her room. Mafuyu blinked incredulously. _Ah, well. So much for diplomatic negotiation_. A few seconds of silence passed.

They looked at each other.

Then at the keys.

And back at each other again.

The air conditioner in the room gave a faint groan as it struggled to function in the humid weather.

"...GIVE ME THOSE KEYS, DAMN IT!"

In the same instant, they dived for the keys.

Mafuyu immediately threw herself across the floor, skidding towards the direction of the keys, as Takaomi lunged forward, clambering to grab them first. Mafuyu bit her tongue, desperately trying to climb over him to get to them. There was no way she would lose her trump card over Takaomi-kun so easily! Grabbing them first, Takaomi effortlessly held them from her reach. "Now…once I give these back, you're letting me stay here."

Staring at her, he watched her jump for them with no success. His mouth spread into a smirk. "I'm living here. Just accept it, Mafuyu."

Mafuyu bit her lip and scowled at him. Her gaze faltered as she stared toward the ground in ultimate defeat. What more could she do? She turned her back towards him, seething.

"Well, if you put it that way...NO! NEVER!"

It was a split second before Mafuyu rounded over to ram herself into his chest, sending her childhood friend stumbling back towards the balcony. The both of them watched as Mafuyu's spare keys flew from Takaomi's hands over the side rail of the balcony. Scrambling over to the balcony's edge, Mafuyu watched helplessly as they fell into the bushes below.

_Ah, shit...no way..._

Mafuyu could feel her heart sink as she saw the small glint of silver disappear in the greenery. She smacked her forehead in frustration. "Stupid...so stupid!" She couldn't believe her luck! Now she had to go down there and retrieve them somehow...

Meanwhile, Takaomi indifferently watched as the petite girl stood, agitatedly talking to herself. "Ah, well," he said breezily. "It's a shame they fell...you'll have to go pick them up—"

Takaomi's hand flew up to block a small fist aimed at his head. "No, I won't. You will get them." He watched in affected interest as Mafuyu's eyes held a deadly glint. She didn't care even if he was still stronger than her; she was going to make him responsible for making her morning so chaotic. "You will get them and bring them back..."

Watching her tiredly, Takaomi waved her off, rolling his eyes. "Maa, Mafuyu, don't trouble yourself—"

Throwing herself in his direction, Mafuyu landed in a heap on top of Takaomi, stumbling from the balcony to the bedroom as she grabbed him by the shoulders. She exploded, the words and thoughts tumbling freely from her mouth.

"No, this time you listen to _me_. Where have you been? Why are you here? You haven't even told me why you're here and _you expect me to let you stay_? Don't be ridiculous..."

Shoulders heaving up and down, Mafuyu didn't care about how hysterical she sounded. She wanted some answers. It was going to be here and now.

Takaomi looked away and scrunched his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Maa...don't shout so close to somebody's ear. It's a pain..."

Mafuyu glared impudently at his face from above. She couldn't believe his attitude. Snorting disdainfully, she raised her voice even louder to spite him. "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. WHY ARE YOU—OOF!"

In an instant, Takaomi apathetically reversed their positions, half-lidded eyes glowering at her with a piercing stare. He pinned both of her wrists down into the side of the futon with one hand, the blanket thrown about in disarray from their earlier squabble over the keys.

Grabbing her chin roughly, Takaomi forced her to look into his eyes.

"Hey. Mafuyu? Shut the hell up. It's annoying."

Shrinking back, Mafuyu felt as if his words had burned a brand on her chest. His tone was like ice. Could he be _that_ angry at her? Closing her mouth off immediately, she swallowed the lump in her throat. She had forgotten this power.

_He's still that terrifying..._

Feeling his gaze on her absolutely unbearable, Mafuyu looked away. She half-heartedly ended her struggle, letting her arms relax in his grip. She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. Feelings of shame and nostalgia flooded her in an instant. Why was something like this happening? It wasn't as if she didn't want to help him. It was just that she couldn't stand the fact that he wouldn't tell her what was going on, especially after their time in the Disciplinary Club during her high school years. For him to show up so suddenly and demand her support without any knowledge of his situation...it was like he didn't trust her enough to let her know anything.

 _Have we really grown apart_ that _much...?_

Mafuyu looked around the room with a subdued expression, her eyes finally resting on the alarm clock, still at its place on the floor where she threw it earlier in the morning. She'd have to reel in her own emotions for now and deal with them later. Right now, it was best to make peace with him first.

"...Okay," she began.

She was already starting to fear what she was saying yes to. This was not going to be easy.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she relented petulantly, mumbling from the corner of her mouth. "Your situation, I mean." She felt his fingers leave her chin.

She turned to face him with downcast eyes, her voice barely escaping her. "So...you can stay. If you want."

Mafuyu's gaze momentarily shifted from Takaomi's eyes to the side. She still couldn't look him directly just yet, not after what had happened this morning.

The stifling air hung around them motionlessly for a few seconds.

Takaomi hovered over her, a forlorn expression appearing on his face for a fleeting moment. Relaxing his grip, his eyes softened. "Yeah. Sorry for the trouble. And thank you."

"Yeah, whatever." Mafuyu lowered her gaze sullenly, a blush threatening to appear on her cheeks as she stubbornly looked away again. They remained like that in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Finally, Mafuyu spoke up.

"You could have at least called, you know. Geez."

She shifted uncomfortably under his weight.

Takaomi smiled, a soft exhale coming from his lips. "Yeah," he repeated.

His voice was soft and steady.

Much to her surprise, Takaomi suddenly pulled Mafuyu up into a warm embrace, his arms tightly encircling her. Warm breath fell across her face as she was buried into his chest. She instantly tensed up, her heart racing as she realized what was happening. A grown man whom she hadn't seen in three years embracing her on her bed?

It was _too much_!

Fidgeting, she tried to release herself from his hold. "H-hey...uh...HEY!"

Takaomi released her slightly and looked down at her, a small smirk on his lips. "Heh. I missed you too."

Her face blanched. "A-ah. When the hell did I say that I missed you?" Mafuyu cleared her throat and looked away, assuming a gruff tone. The nerve of him! Even when he was gone, she didn't miss his unbearable teasing, that's for sure.

"Now...I will...go get something for us to eat at the convenience store. Yeah. So you just stay here." Mechanically pushing him away, Mafuyu dusted herself off and made her way across the room, her face alight with a rosy glow.

Propping himself up as he leaned back on the ruined futon, Takaomi watched in amusement as Mafuyu stomped around the room ungracefully, hurriedly finding her wallet while she avoided his gaze.

Mafuyu grabbed a small shopping bag and ran out of the room as fast as she could. Slamming the door shut, she broke into a run despite the one hundred degree weather on an August morning. She didn't even stop to tie her shoes.

Left alone in the empty bedroom, Takaomi stepped out onto the balcony as Mafuyu hurried down the street. He watched as the small figure below tripped over one of her shoe laces, cursing as she made her way down the sidewalk. He scratched his head, chuckling bemusedly to himself.

"Ahh...I wonder when she's going to realize she hasn't put on a bra yet."


	3. Pancake Connection

She looked odd walking around in a sweat-stained t-shirt with a wide collar, her light cotton shorts almost too revealing to be worn out in public.

Clutching a small canvas shopping bag to her chest, Mafuyu trotted down the street, wearing old, beat up sneakers. Tucking back some loose strands of hair, she shielded her eyes from the sun. The buzz of cicadas was even louder, now that she was outside. The sun beat down relentlessly. Mafuyu observed the lethargic movements of passing pedestrians; everyone was moving slower than usual.

The convenience store was low on stock since many junior high kids in the area spent their allowance on the snacks available. The cooling system in the store also broke down, so the convenience meals and bento boxes labeled for today were spoiled and had to be thrown out. Mafuyu frowned. _Great._ Now she didn't know where to go for food. Takaomi-kun was most likely going to kill her.

Walking a couple of streets down towards the local town plaza, she stopped by a small farmer's market in the area. Fresh produce lined the stalls, vendors hung their goods and merchandise, and raw cuts of meats and expensive cheeses were put out in front. Some stalls sold small indoor plants and flowers, while others had artisans selling their locally-made jewelry. There were a few stalls that sold hot food and cold drinks as well. Her stomach growled loudly.

Licking her lips, Mafuyu thought it was best to get something at the market, instead of her typical bento. She hadn't been eating well anyway since she'd lost her job. It was a good chance to spoil herself. Plus, she would be able to get something good for her "guest" back at home, however troublesome he may be...

As she looked around, Mafuyu eyed the different selections of food until she spotted a few that she liked. Finally, one stall caught her eye. _Nice._

She smiled.

Breaking into a light jog, she headed towards the back of the market.

* * *

In a market stall, strong, skilled hands flipped okonomiyaki perfectly.

Taking a pinch of salt, long fingers sprinkled it over the batter with careful delicacy. A little sprig of green onion on top; some squid, mushrooms, carrots; a garnish of red pickled ginger with some homemade sauce. Damn, he was a pro.

Handing off the order to the customer, he started again.

A large dollop of batter on the skillet; a few pieces of meat and seafood; colorful vegetables; a splash of oil to keep it from sticking…

Feeling a little adventurous, Okegawa Kyoutaro put two extra dollops at the top of the cooking circle of batter and shaped them into pointed ears with his spatula. Some sesame seeds for eyes, a large red triangle radish for the mouth, and a long strip of seaweed for the charming moustache.

"Nekomata-san..."

It was finished. The next customer to get this would be a very lucky one, he thought. After all, who wouldn't want their food shaped into the most adorable, most devilishly handsome character to ever exist?

Admiring his handiwork, Okegawa cheerfully turned to plate his masterpiece in a take-out box before starting on the next batch of okonomiyaki. From the corner of his eye, short brown hair sidled up to his vision. "Excuse me, how much for one of these meals?" Hearing a familiar voice, he looked up.

"Banchou? Is that you?"

Kurosaki Mafuyu stood, wide eyed, as she watched the dollops of okonomiyaki batter sizzle on the skillet top. Okegawa Kyoutaro stared back at her, his spatula in hand. His hair was tied back with a colorful floral-print bandana while a purple apron hung around his neck. She broke out into a grin.

"Ah, Banchou! What a surprise! Long time no see! How are you doing?" Mafuyu started, as she began talking animatedly. "I can't believe you work here...have you been doing this for long? It looks delicious!" She took an appreciative whiff of the air and smiled.

Face heating up, Okegawa stared back at the fresh, bright girl in front of him and froze. _Morse...?_

How long had it been since he last saw her? A year?

Silently, his eyes traveled down as he blankly looked her over. Still cute and spunky, with her petite frame...he could see that his princely Morse Girl had matured quite a bit, with her sharp eyes, long smooth neck and defined collarbones. He could feel his face becoming hotter by the second.

Swallowing, he unconsciously ventured to look down further.

_...Oh god._

Okegawa jerked back suddenly, face red with shame. A hand flew up as blood threatened to gush from his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god._

_Her breasts; he could_ see _them._

Hesitantly, he checked again, just to make sure it wasn't an illusion. His vision spun.

_Shameful woman! Couldn't she find any undergarments to wear?_

Okegawa could see the faint curve of perky breasts through her shirt as Mafuyu raised her arm to shield her eyes from the sun's glare, reading the menu listed above. He swallowed. They were smaller than the given average of what most men preferred, but to him, they looked just right. Nice and shapely, not too flashy. He could imagine the beads of sweat from her neck traveling down her collarbones, mysteriously trailing their way into the forbidden peaks and valleys...

He mentally slapped himself.

Totally vexed by his own behavior and thoughts, Okegawa venomously glared at her through his fingers as he covered his face, keeping himself at a distance. _When_ had he started to think this way about her? _When_ had she changed? _When_ had their relationship become so different? It had been a while since he last saw her, but she still affected him just as much as before...just this time, it was in a new and totally _different_ way...

He scowled, gritting his teeth. These horrible, impure feelings...they were _so_ unlike him. _Damn that vixen!_ Was she trying to seduce him? _How dare she!_

Inwardly, Okegawa anguished over his impending doom. He was a slave to such princely aesthetics. With her lithe body, her worthy manly demeanor, and her blessedly rare appreciation for Nekomata-san...Morse Girl would be the absolute death of him. She was a true demon in disguise! Okegawa despaired mentally at the thought. Clenching his fists, he made a frustrated noise.

Meeting his eyes, Mafuyu tilted her head to the side skeptically as she noted his strange behavior. "Banchou...?"

Okegawa shivered at the sound of her voice. _Ugh_. Had her voice gotten cuter as well?

"Uh, yes. Morse Girl..." Recovering slightly, Okegawa stared at her determinedly in the eye as he stiffly handed her the Nekomata okonomiyaki he made earlier. "Here, take it." It was better that she was the one to have it. She would know how to fully appreciate it as much as he did himself. Once she grasped the box, he immediately turned back to his work, completely ignoring her.

"Uh, thanks, Banchou." Mafuyu didn't know whether to be thankful or confused by his act of kindness. "How much is it?" She waited by the counter, flipping through a small stack of yen from her wallet.

Still facing away from her, Okegawa flipped the newly browned circles of batter. "It's free. Now leave," he said automatically. Suddenly, he froze. _Wait...no!_ _Remember your courtesies_ , he mentally corrected himself. According to his manager, he really needed to work at being friendly to people he was uncomfortable with. He tried again. "I mean, take it and shut up," he said, without even thinking.

... _Wait._ _NO!_

Mentally, Okegawa bashed himself over the head repeatedly and groaned. Just _how_ socially retarded can he be around _one person_?

Sighing at his inability to express himself properly, Okegawa gave a weary glance over at Mafuyu as she held the box of his personally-made Nekomata okonomiyaki. "Look Morse Girl, just go. I mean, have a nice day," he said finally, his face tinged with a red glow.

Mafuyu stared at him blankly for a few seconds until a bright grin lit up her face. "Uh...alright. Hope you have a nice day too, Banchou," she called out, turning around with her bag over her shoulder. "It was nice seeing you again." She turned to walk away.

Watching as her back disappeared into the crowd of shoppers, Okegawa let out a sigh of relief. He didn't even know he was holding his breath until she had left. Eyes softening, he looked down at the remaining pancakes on the skillet. _Ah, Morse Girl_...

His face remained slightly pink at the thought of her. She had really grown _._ Thank the gods she was gracious enough to ignore his social blunders. It was _just_ like her to understand him so well...

Sprinkling more chopped vegetables on top of the browning pancakes, he allowed a slight smile to appear on his face. _If he could see her just one more time..._

He shook his head at that thought. _Ah...no..._ Letting out another sigh, Okegawa decided that it was best that they parted sooner than later. _Yes, that's it._ It was good while it lasted. The memories were all that mattered. Their run-in had been a fluke, and she most likely wouldn't see him for another few months from now, even if he decided to stay at this job. Not meeting again...it was good this way, since seeing her would only mean disaster for him, mentally and morally...

"Ah, wait a second...Banchou?"

An inquiring voice broke Okegawa out of his thoughts. Looking up, he blanched as he noticed Mafuyu running back to his stall. _Shit. She's back!_ He grimaced at how she panted breathlessly, leaning over the counter. He turned away, face completely red again.

_Too soon, too soon!_

Mafuyu stood by the counter with a couple of bills in her hand. "Banchou, I'm sorry, but would it be possible for me to buy another meal of okonomiyaki from you?" She glanced up at him with wide eyes. Okegawa stared at her slack-jawed, unable to reply. Suddenly, Mafuyu burst into nervous laughter, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. "Ah, if you're wondering...it's not for me, but for a guest of mine. I'm going to take it back home," she clarified.

Okegawa blushed, looking away once more, as if his natural affinity towards her wasn't affection. So she had a guest back at home? _Cute._ Okegawa remembered how nicely she had treated him during high school. Their times at the Nekomata movie premieres were his favorite. Looking back at her, he nodded. "How many do you want?"

Mafuyu looked thoughtfully at the menu board. "Umm...just two, I suppose. In that case, I'll get out an extra bill to pay—"

"No need. This is also free." Okegawa could feel his face getting redder by the minute as he turned to face her, giving her back the money. Their fingers brushed. Mafuyu faltered a bit, looking a bit deflated at his offer. "Ah, but Banchou...I really don't feel comfortable not paying for this meal, even if we are friends. This is your job, after all..."

Okegawa didn't know whether to feel touched or hit Morse Girl over the head for her noble foolishness. Why couldn't she just take his offer! _She didn't have to do that!_ Okegawa looked away again, furrowing his brows in frustration. "No. You keep it. Just wait over there," he said, as he turned to make a fresh batch of okonomiyaki for her to take home.

Mafuyu hesitated, taking back the money and stuffing it in her bag. Looking up, she watched intently as Banchou made her order carefully, impressed by his attention to detail as he made each pancake perfectly round. "Hey, Banchou..."

"What is it?" He snapped. It was already enough that she came back to torment him with her princely beauty, but to keep _trying_ to strike up a conversation with him? It was _insane_! Was this _torture_? Couldn't she just leave him alone? Okegawa wanted it to end. At this rate, he felt as if he would die from heat stroke from the blood rushing to his face, coupled with the humid heat outside. He couldn't handle being around her so suddenly like this, not after so long...

Mafuyu smiled at him, leaning on the counter. "You know, it's been such a long time since we've seen each other...I thought you had taken up another job far away. Since you're not taking any payment for the okonomiyaki, do you think you'd like to come hang out with me on your day off? I'll buy you tickets for the arcade, just like old times..." She winked.

Facing Mafuyu, Okegawa freezed, forgetting about the pancakes on the grill. His hands started sweating profusely, making it difficult to grip his spatula. His face was burning red. _Was this flirting?_ He didn't know.

Remembering the pancakes, Okegawa looked down, avoiding her gaze. _What did people do in situations like these?_ "Arcades are for children," he ground out forcefully. He didn't know what to say to her sudden proposal. It was best that he would reject it.

"A café, then. We can go to the movies like old times too," Mafuyu said fluently, not missing a beat. She shifted, smiling at him easily, completely unperturbed. Okegawa cringed. She totally wasn't reading the atmosphere.

Taking his silence as a yes, Mafuyu grinned. "So, when is your next free day?"

"This Saturday," Okegawa replied automatically to her this time, unable to deny her anything. He didn't know what else to think anymore.

Mafuyu nodded, taking her package of okonomiyaki as Okegawa mechanically handed it to her. "Great, I'll see you then. Shall I meet you here at the plaza? I think it will be fun to catch up. I have a few crazy things going on right now, and I think it would be nice to unwind with you..." Mafuyu lowered her gaze thoughtfully, staring down at the package.

"Okay." Okegawa blinked, catching himself staring intensely at a small wisp of hair that fell across Mafuyu's forehead, as she stood still in deep thought. He believed that focusing on it long enough would keep him from losing himself right then and there in front of her. The sizzling of the okonomiyaki filled the silence between them. Suddenly, Mafuyu looked up, gasping.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot to ask!"

Okegawa jumped, Mafuyu's exclamation breaking his deep concentration. "Banchou, give me your phone number! Didn't it change since last time?" Mafuyu demanded excitedly, slamming her hands on the counter.

"Ah, yeah..." Okegawa looked around, wiping his hands on his apron. The grease from the okonomiyaki stained the purple fabric. Taking his phone from his pocket, he flipped it open. "Morse Girl...where's your cell?"

Mafuyu blinked, digging around in her pockets. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Ah, I seem to have left it at home. Would it be okay if I borrow a pen?" Finding one on his side of the counter, Okegawa held it out to her. At this, Mafuyu immediately snatched a napkin from a nearby dispenser and wrote quickly on its surface, handing it to Okegawa. She smiled. "Banchou. My number. Please make sure to call!"

Before Okegawa knew it, Mafuyu was waving goodbye, swinging her bags of okonomiyaki as she turned the corner. "See you Saturday!"

He blinked. _Morse Girl._ He looked down at the napkin scrap she left and carefully stuffed it into his pocket. Finding the tiny calendar on the wall of his stall, he checked the date. A Tuesday.

He didn't know whether to be excited or nervous for this weekend.

With Mafuyu gone, Okegawa looked down at his neglected skillet.

_Shit...!_

Flipping over the pancakes hurriedly, he cursed under his breath.

This batch of pancakes turned out a little browner than usual.

* * *

Walking back to her apartment with meals in hand, Mafuyu left the market in higher spirits than before.

To think she ran into Banchou today after a year! She smiled. It was wonderful how old friends made their way back into her life. She would have so much to tell him since her last year in college. She would have to tell him how his food tasted, since he was now an okonomiyaki vendor. And most of all, she would have to know what he had been up to during the past year. She hummed cheerfully at the thought.

Mind wandering, Mafuyu smile faded as her thoughts turned to Takaomi. Now, there was another matter. For her to acquiesce to his demands and needs so easily, despite her lack of knowledge about his situation...she didn't know what to do about him.

_Takaomi-kun._

_What had he been doing for three years?_ She couldn't help but wonder. When he had pulled off his sunglasses and mask in her living room, she couldn't believe it was him. He looked so well, his handsome features still retaining a healthy glow. His hair was longer, his fringe falling into his eyes, reminiscent of how he looked during her childhood with him. He looked as if he hadn't worn a suit since his time as a teacher during her high school years.

And he had said that she'd grown...

She blushed. She wondered if he still thought of her as a little girl, despite her being only about seven years younger than him. To be honest, now that she had reached her twenties, the maturity gap didn't seem so large as it did before. Since she had graduated from high school, she had wanted nothing more than to talk with him as an equal rather than a subordinate. Her education and her experience up until now had prepared her to go toe to toe with him in debates, conversations, small talk...after all, she was currently a product born from collegiate society. He had to see her as an equal, right? She wasn't a stupid little kid anymore.

Puffing up her chest, as she walked up the flights of stairs to her apartment, she stopped in front of the door and rang the doorbell. Silence. Feeling awkward as she stood, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her ratty tennis shoes making her feet warmer than usual. The sun was overhead, making it even hotter. Takaomi-kun was inside where she left him, wasn't he? Surely, he would open the door...

She waited another few minutes. The hot weather made the smell of okonomiyaki rise from the tightly closed bags. Mafuyu aired out the front of her shirt, tugging at the collar a couple of times to keep herself slightly cool. Rapping on the door impatiently with her knuckles, she tried once again.

A few more minutes ticked by.

_Ugh..._

Letting out an exasperated groan, Mafuyu didn't know whether to break down her door or strangle Takaomi once she saw him for neglecting to let her into her own apartment. She had trusted him too!

"I even bought him food," she mumbled to herself between gritted teeth, as she tightened her grip around the okonomiyaki packages. Sweat ran profusely down her back, making her feel sticky and tired. The heat was starting to get to her.

Heaving a sigh of frustration, Mafuyu plopped down cross-legged in the hallway in front of her apartment door. Making herself comfortable on the warm concrete, she methodically opened the packages of food, calmly laying them out in front of her one by one. Taking the pair of disposable chopsticks enclosed in the package, she broke them apart, sniffing disdainfully. A large scowl broke across her face as she glared ahead in irritation.

_Lock her out of her own apartment?_

_Fine._

"I'll eat your food and enjoy it too, you ungrateful bastard! Itadakimasu!"

Plunging into the savory pancakes with her chopsticks unrestrainedly, Mafuyu hungrily ate, not bothering to slow down and chew. _I'll make sure there's nothing left!_ Chopsticks furiously moving, she didn't even notice when the sound of footsteps made its way towards her. A large dark shadow suddenly blocked the light, hovering over her.

"Sitting down on the ground like that. Isn't your ass burning?"

Takaomi stood, leaning against the white wall of the apartment hallway, crossing his arms. Upon seeing him, Mafuyu jumped back, mouth still full with food. Pointing her chopsticks up at him from the floor, she shouted.

"...YOU!"

Eyeing her warily with placid eyes, Takaomi pushed himself off the wall and walked towards her. "Oh. You got food?"

Mafuyu glared up at her childhood friend. "Where the hell were you? You could have at least stayed inside to let me in!"

"Ahh, you've been sounding like that since this morning," Takaomi sighed, rubbing his face in exasperation. "I went down to get these." Reaching into his back pocket, Takaomi pulled out the spare keys that fell from the balcony. Anger quickly dissipating, Mafuyu blinked, slightly gaping. _Ah, he got them._ Takaomi tossed them on the ground, the keys jangling as they landed on the floor next to her.

"Open the door. It's hot."

Wiping her mouth on her arm, Mafuyu resentfully rose to her feet, acknowledging him in silence. _So he wasn't being totally irresponsible_ , she admitted to herself. _That was good._

Swallowing her pride for a second, Mafuyu sighed as she dusted off her legs and looked up. "Thanks," she said, meeting his eyes. Grabbing the keys, she pushed open the door, leaving it ajar as she entered. Deciding to leave the lights off, she walked across the living room to turn up the air conditioner to cool the place. She looked up, remembering something.

"Ah...yeah. That's right, the okonomiyaki. Takaomi-kun—"

Turning back to the open door, Mafuyu gaped as she saw Takaomi sitting in her place outside in the hallway, tasting the food from the packages. Thoughtfully chewing, he turned to her. "Ah...not bad. Where did you buy this?"

Mafuyu's eyes reduced themselves to tiny dots. Unwittingly, she tightened her hands into fists at the scene.

He was using her chopsticks.

_What the fuck._

_You distracted me so that you could eat?_

Fiercely blushing, Mafuyu strode back to the door, hands on her hips. _It was his idea to go inside in the first place!_ Reeling in her impending impatience, she controlled herself as she spoke. "Oi. Takaomi-kun. Let's bring it inside to eat—"

"Ah...the ground."

Mafuyu halted, confused at his statement. _Huh?_ "Takaomi-kun?"

"It's warm. It's like a kotatsu." He stared blankly, relaxing into the concrete floor.

Mafuyu smacked her forehead at his statement. _A kotatsu...in the middle of summer?_ She looked at him with disbelief.

Maintaining his placid, half-lidded stare, Takaomi turned around, raising his eyebrows at her reaction. "You were already eating out here, so why bother?"

Heaving another sigh, Mafuyu ultimately gave up and sat by him, watching silently as he ate. She grimaced at how Takaomi used her chopsticks, completely unfazed. Didn't he know that her lips were on them before? Her scowl deepened. Gross. No sense of hygiene. _He didn't even turn them around to use the unused ends of the sticks_...

"Ah, what's this...?" Takaomi stopped eating, putting down his chopsticks to examine one of the okonomiyaki. "It looks like the shape of a cat."

Curious, Mafuyu moved to peer inside the box, eyes widening as she recognized the face. "Neko...Nekomata-san?"

Sitting up on her knees, something clicked. Her face lit up. _Banchou!_ He still loved that character so much, didn't he? Eyes softening, she giggled internally as she noted the strip of seaweed hanging loosely across the face like a moustache. How endearing. _A token of their friendship_ , she thought, her eyes sparkling. She would have to thank him later for the specially-made pancake. She would have to—

"AGH! Wait—what are you doing?" Mafuyu sputtered, as a pair of chopsticks carelessly pierced the okonomiyaki head of Nekomata-san, cutting away a piece of his forehead indifferently. Takaomi looked up, completely unaffected. He unhurriedly pushed the piece of okonomiyaki in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. "Hmm. I like this one the best. Who made this again?"

Mafuyu faltered at his actions for a second before she reached out, taking the package of half-eaten okonomiyaki from him. "Takaomi-kun, this one's mine! It was made for me..."

Takaomi stared at her incredulously, as he sat back, leaning against the door frame. "Oh? By who, a secret lover?" he teased. A devilish smirk lit his face. "From what I saw, the other container was half-eaten. Does that mean you ate my share?" An inkling of darkness lurked behind his gaze. Mafuyu shivered, eyeing him warily. "Ah. Well—"

Grinning smugly, Takaomi suddenly reached over to the package Mafuyu was holding. Taking another piece of the Nekomata okonomiyaki, he held it up to her lips. "Well, it wasn't like we weren't sharing before. Here. Open up."

With the piece of okonomiyaki close to her face, Mafuyu shrunk back, her face flushed with embarrassment. What the hell was he trying to do? Feed her? _This idiot._ She began to protest. "No...I—"

Mafuyu was silenced as the piece of okonomiyaki was shoved violently down her throat, making her gag. _Was he trying to kill her?_

"Make sure to chew." Mafuyu could see the sadistic glint in Takaomi's eye as he mercilessly stuffed a few more pieces of pancake into her mouth. _Shit!_ Hacking slightly, Mafuyu cursed as she continued to cough, eyes watering. She managed to swallow the pieces of food, albeit with a little difficulty. She glared at him as venomously as possible. _That bastard!_

Playing it off, she tried her best to smile. Instead, it ended up looking like a grimace. A few crumbs littered the corners of her mouth, pieces that she sprayed as she tried to swallow the okonomiyaki. _Classy._

Satisfied with her reaction, Takaomi lazily leaned back against the doorframe, letting out a soft snicker. He turned to look her, a small smile on his face. "You really haven't changed, have you, Mafuyu?"

She blinked, looking at him dubiously. _What was with that sudden nostalgic expression of his?_ She couldn't keep up with his mood shifts and the way he was now. Staring at him blankly, Mafuyu could feel a tightening in her chest at she registered Takaomi's words. _Haven't changed...?_

She furrowed her eyebrows, voicing her thoughts. "What do you mean?"

During the past three years, Mafuyu thought she had changed, for sure. She had become a young lady of society, hadn't she? She went to a college, majored in a practical discipline, made friends, and even successfully made some girl friends. Didn't that all count for maturity? Obviously, Takaomi couldn't see that. She began to feel a little disappointed. She had wanted to be considered an equal...

Observing her meditative stare, Takaomi spoke up. "Honestly, if you had changed, I wouldn't have bothered to stay after dropping off those keys." She looked up at the sound of his voice. Takaomi was staring pensively at the okonomiyaki containers littering the floor around them. He sighed. "I can still count on you. I'm glad."

At this, Mafuyu felt her face heat up, her heart jumping a little. She looked down at the warm floor, reflecting on his words for a moment. _Ah, so he's glad. That's great._ Still, she couldn't help but feel a little disheartened that he hadn't thought of her any differently than before. _I thought I would be your equal the next time I saw you..._

Eyes trailing over his bandages unconsciously, Mafuyu was startled out of her thoughts as Takaomi reached out to her, his fingers gently brushing over her lips. _Huh? What the hell_? Noticing her alarmed expression, he pulled away. "Crumbs," he said, an indolent expression on his face.

A few seconds later and he rose to his feet. Picking up a few of the empty boxes on the floor, Takaomi walked through the open front door, containers in hand. "Let's go inside. It's hot." He walked towards the kitchen.

Hearing no response, Takaomi looked over his shoulder. "Are you coming or not? Mafuyu?"

Mafuyu blinked a couple of times, breaking out of her reverie before hurriedly picking up the rest of the containers, trailing in after him. "Yes!"

She had forgotten herself for a moment.

* * *

At a distance, Mafuyu glanced over at Takaomi as she was busy throwing away the empty packages and storing extra pieces of okonomiyaki in the fridge. She quietly observed how the thin fabric of his tank top would crease as he moved, stretching over the expanse of his torso as he walked around the kitchen.

Just as she was finishing her work, he turned to her. "Where's your shower?"

She pointed to the right. "There. The bathroom."

Nodding slightly, Takaomi made his way across the hall, stepping into the bathroom. "After this, I'm napping. Don't bother me," he said quietly. Mafuyu heard the soft closing of a door and after a few minutes, the gentle rush of water running.

Staring at the direction he walked off to, Mafuyu plopped down in the chair by the counter, resting her chin on her arms as she lay on the cool granite counter surface. Closing her eyes, she began to let her thoughts wander.

_They say that sharing okonomiyaki with other people allows you to develop deeper, more intimate bonds with them..._

Today was an odd day. How long would Takaomi-kun stay with her? She didn't know. To be honest, she felt that his sudden presence was simultaneously invasive and satisfying, since, regardless of how inconvenient it was to have him live with her, it was nice to see him again. So far, it had barely been one day.

Were there other aspects of his personality that remained hidden? Had anything about him changed? She couldn't remember. Also, he didn't come with any luggage, from what she saw. She'd have to sort out everything with him later...

_RING, RING._

Perking up, Mafuyu reached over to grasp her neglected cell phone on the counter and answered. "Hello?"

Her eyes lit up. "Ah...Hayasaka-kun!"

The voice on the other line was calm and deep, and comfortably soothing. He sounded apologetic. "Kurosaki. Sorry it took so long to call back. What did you want to talk about?" Mafuyu swayed slightly as she listened, humming cheerfully to herself. It was really great to hear his voice again. "You seemed stressed when you called earlier...something about Saeki?"

At his question, Mafuyu froze.

 _Shit. That's right._ Mafuyu bit her lip as she remembered their earlier conversation. She had been in a panic when she called. What could she tell Hayasaka now? She fidgeted in her seat as she weighed her options. The problem was resolved for the most part. Takaomi-kun said that no one could know about his presence. But on the other hand...if she could just tell somebody...

"Umm...well. Actually, it's nothing much," she said, trying to make her voice as nonchalant as possible. Gripping the phone tightly, Mafuyu could hear her own breathing become increasingly shallow. She swallowed as she prepared herself for her next words. "I mean...what would you think if I told you I was living with someone now?" _There._ She blurted it out. She could feel her face flush as she heard herself.

The other end of the phone was silent for a few minutes. "...Oh?"

Mafuyu didn't know how to respond. Silence hung in the air until Hayasaka gave a light chuckle, the tension dissolving. "Ah, so that's it? You got a boyfriend, Kurosaki? Congratulations. Who's the lucky guy?"

Stuttering a bit at his conclusion, it took Mafuyu a few moments to recollect herself. She had to tell Hayasaka, now or never. As her best friend, he had to listen. "No...wait, Hayasaka-kun. Something else happened...today, with Saeki-sensei—"

"YAH! Mafuyu!" Loud yelling broke her thoughts, interrupting her mid-sentence.

Mafuyu gasped as she looked around. Takaomi's voice called out from the bathroom, the water still running. "Mafuyu. Where's the damn soap? Do you not have any?"

 _Fuck...!_ Sitting up, Mafuyu didn't know what to do for a few seconds. Takaomi-kun calling for her help during this time...why the fuck was this happening to her? Suddenly, another voice broke her out of her thoughts from the other end of the line. "Kurosaki? You alright? What was that yelling?" Hayasaka asked, his voice losing its calm lilt. He sounded concerned. _Shit._

"OI...MAFUYU!" Takaomi's shouting got louder.

"Coming, coming!" Mafuyu called back towards the bathroom, her head spinning. _Ugh._ To be caught in this type of situation...it was aggravating. Putting the receiver to her ear, she quickly apologized. "Hayasaka-kun, I'm sorry. I have to go. I'll call you back..." Mafuyu hated to do this type of thing to Hayasaka, but it was necessary.

"Wait...Kurosaki. Are you okay? That shouting...was that your boyfriend? Is he hurting you?" The other line came in with Hayasaka's voice, his tone increasing in panic.

Mafuyu cringed at his words. From the bathroom, Takaomi continued to yell. "MAFUYU! Where are you?"

Drawn to the noise in the bathroom, Mafuyu looked at the phone in worry. Making a decision, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Hayasaka-kun!"

"OI, KUROSAKI, WAIT—" _Click_.

Sitting back in her chair, she groaned at how worried Hayasaka sounded when she hung up. _Crap._ She covered her face. How the hell was she going to explain this to him now?

Head swimming with thoughts, Mafuyu quickly turned off her cell phone to keep herself from calling him back so soon. Knowing her, it would probably be best if she let the situation boil over and calmly explain to him what had happened when she wasn't a mess. Yes. That was it. She would just have to sort it out later...

Getting up from her chair, she quickly strode over to the storage closet, where she grabbed a bar of soap. The towels and dish rags remained on the floor when she had searched for the spare keys. Knocking on the bathroom door impatiently, she held out the soap as the door cracked open slightly.

"Here! Take it," she said, in an exasperated tone, huffing irritably. He was so lucky she was doing this for him. _If it wasn't for you, Hayasaka-kun wouldn't be so confused right now..._

"Took you long enough." A wet hand slithered out to grab the bar of soap. Mafuyu could see the rivulets of water running down Takaomi's muscled arm. A few drops of water dripped onto her hand as he picked up the soap. He slammed the door shut.

 _Ugh._ Shaking off the water from her hand in irritation, Mafuyu narrowed her eyes. _Takaomi-kun, you jerk..._

Sniffing disdainfully, Mafuyu turned back to the mess by the closet, half-heartedly folding the dish rags on the floor before stuffing them back messily on the shelves. She'd have to wash some of them later. Giving up halfway on folding, she made her way to her room and plopped dramatically into her bed.

The air conditioner made another weird groan as it continued to run. Mafuyu looked up at the noise, spotting the alarm clock, still in its place on the floor from earlier in the morning. She checked the time.

Falling back into bed, she groaned, covering her eyes. The sun shined through the windows, a reminder of the early afternoon.

_Damn it._

Today...

It wasn't even half done yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary:**
> 
> _okonomiyaki_ \- a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of vegetables and/or meats, usually fried or grilled; known as a quintessential street-side food
> 
>  _kotatsu_ \- a low, wooden table covered by a futon or heavy blanket with a built-in heat source; usually used during winters or cold days in Japan


	4. Break and Run

Gold and orange rays were shining brilliantly against the far wall when Mafuyu opened her eyes. She squinted at the glare. _Was the sun setting?_ She felt like she had been sleeping for at least three hours. Or four? Whatever. She was never really good at gauging things like these anyway.

"Wow. You sleep like the dead, Mafuyu."

A voice broke the silence. Turning to her side, Mafuyu's rested expression quickly morphed into one of absolute mortification. Takaomi's large figure was hovering close to her futon, calmly observing her. A white towel hung loosely around his waist, his torso slightly damp. In one hand, he held a hanger with one of her old, baggy Hawaiian-print shirts from her delinquent days, one that seemed to fit more like a dress on her small frame, like many of the other shirts she always seemed to buy. His other hand shifted to hike up the towel.

Scrambling back ungracefully from her futon, Mafuyu let out a loud yelp of surprise as she backed into the wall, hitting her head against it in the process. Rubbing her throbbing skull, she growled. Her eyes raked over his form. _Had he just finished taking his shower? Why was he naked? What an insatiable pervert!_ Forcing herself to stand straight, Mafuyu stared determinedly at the wall beyond Takaomi's head, pretending to meet his eye. "W-why are you—where the hell are your clothes?"

Adjusting his towel, Takaomi looked thoroughly unimpressed with her reaction. "They're soaked with sweat. What? You expected me to wear them?" When she didn't answer, he turned away. "Well, considering you're not the kind of respectable person who keeps soap in the bathroom," he said, shrugging his shoulders. Mafuyu bristled at his comment. Her eyes followed his form as he moved towards the open wardrobe. "I was just about to borrow some clothes anyway."

She watched as he yanked the large, atrociously patterned shirt from its hanger and put it on. Surprisingly, it fit him, hanging comfortably on his frame, rather than fitting loosely, like it did on hers.

Takaomi continued to leisurely search for a pair of loose sweatpants, or anything else that would potentially fit him, in her closet. "I thought you were dead or something. I even tried kicking you in your sleep several times."

Mafuyu was taken aback. "You...kicked me?" She didn't know whether to grieve over the way he mistreated her body while she slept or not. Looking up to stare at Takaomi with the most bewildered expression on her face, a chill ran down her spine. _What a sadist._ Takaomi's brutality was as fearful as ever. Mortification settling in, she automatically started feeling over her body for bruises. Discovering nothing wrong with herself, Mafuyu coughed. "So...where are you going to get clothes and other things? Are you gonna buy them?"

Takaomi stopped what he was doing to face her. The expression he had looked almost innocent. "What? Can't I just use yours?"

Mafuyu automatically reeled back, eyes wide. _No nononono! He can't do that!_ It was enough that she had relented to let him live at her place for an indeterminate time...but for him to use her items and clothes regularly too? Shifting her eyes to her closet, she looked at the array of large patterned shirts she loved to buy. They all seemed to be around his size, she thought morosely. It wasn't her fault she loved billowy, loose-fitting clothes! She quickly thought about pants. While she had a few shirts to accommodate him, she couldn't say the same about bottoms. She imagined him trying to squeeze into a pair of her cute denim shorts. She flinched.

Before she could even so much relent to his comment, Takaomi sighed in exasperation. "I already promised to pay utilities and I'm going to give you a salary for your services. What more do you want?" Mafuyu could feel her embarrassment rise. It sounded worse than she thought when she heard it out loud. She faltered, averting her eyes.

Shaking off her embarrassment, Mafuyu sat up in bed cross-legged, chin resting on her palm. "What if I told you I could get your things in your apartment?" She stared at him determinedly. _This way, if she could fix the problem early on, she wouldn't have to deal with this mess anymore. Then he'd leave her alone and all will be normal again!_ The more she thought about it, the more invested she became in the idea. She nodded to herself firmly. Yes, that was it. _It was nice seeing him, but she'd have her space back..._  
  
Raising his eyebrows, Takaomi spared a questioning glance at her. "Ah. And how are you going to do that?"

"I mean, what if I broke into your apartment for you?" Mafuyu blurted out, her eyes wide and completely uncomprehending. It seemed more like a half-assed promise than an actual plan.

Takaomi let out a snort. The door was locked, he had no key, and he had already tried breaking down the front door of his apartment in the morning. Seeming how his attempt to open the door failed, trying to open the door from the front a second time was going to call unwanted attention to the apartment, he realized.

Mafuyu seemed to read the disbelief on his face. "Umm…I mean, instead of opening the apartment from the front, what if we tried the back? Then you can get your clothes and gain access to the apartment. What do you think?"

Mafuyu jabbered on, not really registering what was coming out of her mouth. It was hard times like these when she just let her lips flow and usually, something she would say would end up saving her lucky ass. She figured whatever she had just said was good enough, since from whatever promises she was spouting, they seemed half-rational, from what she thought. She looked at him expectantly.

"Okay." Takaomi immediately turned to continue searching for a pair of pants in Mafuyu's closet. Finding a pair of loose cotton boxers, he disappeared from her sight. He put them on, covering himself underneath the towel, sliding them up long built legs. When he emerged, Mafuyu looked away distractedly. Luckily, those shorts were big for her, but…they still looked awkward on him. Registering what he had just said, she blinked. "Wait. Huh?"

"Sounds good. Go ahead, then. Open my apartment and I'll be able to move out of here. It'll be easier for me that way," he said calmly, taking off the towel and hanging it around his neck. Takaomi's tone was flat, but his eyes glinted. He was offering her an amused challenge of sorts that he imagined would most likely end in failure.

Chest swelling at his admission, Mafuyu could feel herself rejoicing in the moment. She smiled inwardly at whatever magic she seemed to pull out of her ass this time. She could totally see the light—now, just on with the plan, starting with step one...

A few minutes passed. Drumming her fingers on her forearm, Mafuyu sat in silence, lowering her determined gaze to the hardwood floor. Her confidence deflated a little.

_Uh...yeah. Shit._

She hadn't thought too much about how she would go about doing it.

Takaomi shifted, taking a seat on the floor. Raising his eyebrows expectantly, he almost smirked. "So do you actually have an idea? What do you plan to do?" When she didn't answer, he leaned back comfortably, taking the damp towel around his neck, aiming it at her head.

The damp plush of towel smacked her face, making her sputter. With the towel draping over her face, Mafuyu smelled the sharp herbal scent from the soap invade her nostrils, the towel still damp with water. Reaching up slowly, she yanked down the towel as thoughts started to occur to her. Her eyes widened in realization. The towel...it had been around his waist. He probably used it to dry his whole body off. It probably touched his— _oh god no._ She didn't even want to think about it.

Shrugging off the towel in disgust, she quickly rubbed her face with her hands before glaring at him. "What the hell is your problem?"

Watching her amusedly, Takaomi held back a snicker and tried to maintain a straight face. He shrugged. "You looked like you were in pain...thinking so hard like that." A chuckle managed to escape him as he leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Also, your towel...it was the only one in the bathroom. I ended up using it."

Mafuyu squinted her eyes before blinking. Did she just hear that right? _He used her towel?_ A stretch of silence took over as Takaomi's words hung in the air.

Not giving herself the time to process what she had just heard before it could do any more damage to her dignity, Mafuyu swiftly snatched the damp towel before throwing it in the hamper. Resisting the urge to throttle Takaomi as she passed him, she rushed out of the room and slammed the door, her face set in a panicked expression. Tightening her lips, Mafuyu opened up the storage closet, pulling towels and dish rags off the shelves in a desperate search for something, anything to help her with her plan to break open his apartment. Turning around, she looked at the door of her bedroom door, where she left Takaomi. Head falling back, she let out a groan.

_Fucking hell._

Forget their previous agreement; she needed to get him out of her apartment... _now._

* * *

Somewhere in the bustling lobby of an Osaka train station, a young man sat in street clothes too hot for the weather. An indecipherable expression ran over the man's features as he punched numbers into his cell phone. Calling her a second time, he grit his teeth in desperation, hoping she'd pick up. Two rings. It cut to voicemail.

 _Damn it_ , he cursed.

Face set in a thorough scowl, Hayasaka absentmindedly brushed back the brassy golden locks he maintained, taking the receiver from his ear. He stared blankly at his phone, at a complete loss of what to do.

A stuttering Kurosaki telling him about her new boyfriend and something about Saeki-sensei from high school, some shouting, a few scuffling noises, and Kurosaki repeatedly apologizing in a desperate voice before abruptly hanging up...

It didn't make sense to him at all.

Actually... _it just didn't seem right._

It was nothing new to him that Kurosaki got herself into messes all the time, but when it came to her being in trouble, Hayasaka could feel the familiar pit of anxiety in his stomach churn uneasily, leaving him in a constant state of agitation and worry. Dialing her number again, Hayasaka felt his panic spike as it went to voicemail once more.

 _Why was she not answering?_ Hayasaka felt the sweat running down his forehead as his imagination ran wild. The voice in the background had been male and had an aggressive tone. There were even a few noises in the back. Objects were probably being thrown. What were they fighting about? To think Kurosaki was waiting on an abusive man she had called her boyfriend hand and foot...what type of fool was she? _An M?_

Shoving his phone in his pocket from irritation, Hayasaka shook his head. He couldn't imagine what type of life Kurosaki was living until now. Had she always been _this_ lost without his help? He sighed.

Since their years in high school, Hayasaka had always felt a certain obligation towards her as a friend. Kurosaki was someone that he just couldn't leave alone. Maybe it was because he didn't trust her enough to take care of herself, he thought sadly. But no matter.

An abusive relationship…he couldn't let it stand. And if there was another guy who was usurping his position as Kurosaki's guardian, but taking advantage of it by mistreating her, well, Hayasaka thought was better that he remained by her side instead of that guy. She was his responsibility in these situations. Knowing Kurosaki's poor judgment of character, she had grown accustomed to putting herself in dangerous situations where men were constantly fighting. It was only natural that she'd be attracted to someone who was violent, he guessed. Getting up from the metal chair he sat in, Hayasaka dusted himself off with a resolute expression on his face, having made a decision. _The relationship she is in is no good. I'll have to talk her out of it._

Walking quickly to catch his train back to his apartment, he pulled out his phone, dialing her number once again. Taking a deep breath, he put the phone to his ear. This time, he'd leave a message.

"Hey Kurosaki, you haven't been answering. I know this is sudden, but I feel that this is necessary for me to do..."

Hayasaka hesitated to continue, taking the phone receiver from his ear. The last time he visited Kurosaki was last summer, and that had only been for a few days. He hadn't known how much different she was going to be, considering her situation. He pressed on, trying to maintain a placating tone. If he let on the fact that he was worried about her, she'd never accept it.

"Please stay where you are. You're living in the same place, right? I hope you're okay..."

Hayasaka mentally face-palmed when he instantly recalled several times Mafuyu made their situation worse during high school, prompting the Disciplinary Club to use drastic measures to save their asses. It was getting harder and harder to keep calm under these circumstances.

"Seriously, Kurosaki. Just...stay safe." Hayasaka finally snapped, incapable of keeping his voice from rising to a shout. "Don't do anything stupid like you normally do, you idiot!"

Unable to finish his call, Hayasaka hung up and grit his teeth, finding a seat on the train. It would pointless to even tell her not to do anything stupid. Checking the calendar on his phone, he cancelled the next few events he had listed down. He'd miss a few study sessions he had planned for his senior project, and perhaps that road trip with friends. He felt the exhaustion sink into his bones as he slumped in his chair.

Opening up a new entry in his calendar, Hayasaka started to type a new list of tasks to do, replacing the events he just cancelled. He'd need to book a flight; it was faster by plane to get there anyway. That, and a hotel. So inconvenient; he couldn't believe he was doing this. For the sake of his peace of mind and Kurosaki's well being though, it was a small price to pay. She better be thankful...

He frowned. "That idiot. It's better that I get there sooner than later."

* * *

Watching her silently, Takaomi sat on the disheveled futon in the bedroom as Mafuyu flitted back and forth among her wardrobe, the hallway closet and the kitchen, pulling a bunch of items from various places. She seemed incredibly determined. Propping himself on an arm, he listed the items indolently as they rested against the wall next to the balcony.

_A wrench, rubber dishwashing gloves, a surgical mask, some goggles..._

It was amusing. A smirk forming on his face, Takaomi started to wonder. _What was she trying to do?_ He observed quietly as she strapped a bunch of t-shirts to her knees and elbows with masking tape to create makeshift knee and elbow pads, and started to snicker as she put on the mask, the goggles and the gloves, along with her tennis shoes. Hearing the noise, Mafuyu whipped around, glaring at him. "What? What's so funny?"

Takaomi stifled his laughter. "Maa, it's nothing important. Continue working." He didn't hide the smirk as he watched her carry out her plan silently.

Making her way to the balcony, Mafuyu grasped the large wrench, shoving it in the elastic waistband of her shorts in a way none too comfortable. Since trying to break down the front door was out of the question after it was so easy look suspicious, like she had viewed Takaomi in the morning, this was the best she could come up with. Bobby pins and conventional lock picking devices wouldn't work in this case, since the doors she would be breaking down didn't work like that. Making sure the wrench wouldn't fall out of her shorts, she ran to the left side of the railing, grinning smugly.

Takaomi walked over to the balcony's sliding doors, watching Mafuyu's spindly frame curiously as she climbed over the wobbling balcony railing. It was almost cute to see her try...in a small endearing pet kind-of-way. He leaned against the door frame, tilting his head to see her climbing into the neighboring balcony. His eyebrows furrowed skeptically. "Maa, seriously. Just what do you think you're trying to do?"

Not looking back for a second, Mafuyu found her footing as she landed in the balcony. "Shut up, I'm busy." Taking the wrench out from her shorts, she held the wrench tightly in one hand before taking a defensive stance towards the doors leading to the apartment bedroom. Realizing what she was about to do, Takaomi's eyes widened a fraction before he reached out, shouting at her. "Wait. Mafuyu—"

_WHAM._

Arm swinging with the full force of one of her punches, Mafuyu rammed the wrench into the glass doors of the balcony, before taking her arm back a second time to repeat the action. The glass shattered with the blow. Straightening from her stance, Mafuyu walked back to the railing to make her way over, leaning back to admire her handiwork. She looked over to the side at Takaomi, smirking. "There. How's that? Apartment's open. Now you can—"

"AHHHHHH!" A woman's scream came from inside the apartment she broke into, wiping the triumphant smirk off Mafuyu's face. Tentative footsteps from beyond the door came from inside, and the view inside was obstructed by the fractured glass where Mafuyu broke it, casting a blurry image so that Mafuyu couldn't tell what movement was going on beyond the door she had just cracked. Takaomi and Mafuyu stood, flabbergasted.

Taking a few breaths to recollect himself, Takaomi pointed towards the mess of broken glass where Mafuyu stood. He met her eyes. "Mafuyu. That is not my apartment." Watching her eyes follow his arm, he pointed to the balcony on the other side. "This is my apartment."

Mafuyu shook her head and blinked. She looked at the fragmented glass on the floor. "Then...that means—"

Mafuyu sprang into action, throwing the wrench off several stories into the streets below as she scrambled back over the railing to her balcony porch like a mad squirrel. Still wearing her mask and goggles, Mafuyu could barely make out the blur of a moving figure making its way to the broken glass door from the corner of her eye. She jumped, pushing Takaomi roughly through the door frame of her own balcony before slamming the sliding doors shut and closing the blinds. Muffled shouts and curses from her next-door neighbor were heard through the glass as Mafuyu stood in her room pressed against Takaomi, with wide eyes. _Shit._

She broke into the wrong apartment.

Pushing himself away from her hold, Takaomi exasperatedly strode over to the ruined futon before lying in it face up, draping an arm across his eyes. Making no comment, he turned to the side.

Eyes set in a panicked expression, Mafuyu broke out of her frozen shock. She walked back to her balcony's sliding doors, opening them slightly, the screams of the woman living next door coming in. She winced as she listened carefully to the woman's hysterical voice talking on the phone, calling the police. Along with a few colorful curses, she heard the words "vandalism," "third floor apartment" and "masked boy with metal pole" (while she didn't mind that the woman next door had no idea who it was, Mafuyu was a bit hurt that she would be mistaken as a boy with a pole when she was obviously a girl with a wrench). Yanking off her gear and taking off the gloves, Mafuyu sank to her knees. Damn it. From the way it sounded, the police were probably going to come. Throwing her head back, Mafuyu let out an angry groan. This was bad. Very bad.

Bringing her hands to her head, she looked over at Takaomi's back as he started to settle into a resting position, where he apparently decided to completely ignore the embarrassing situation that took place a few minutes ago. With the situation as it was now, there was no doubt about it that he'd have to stay. And with the police roaming around after the neighbor's call, there would be no chance for her to remedy the problem by getting into his apartment or anything. "Well...fuck this."

Unable to stand the agitated yammer of the next-door neighbor and the absolute indifference the man in front of her seemed to have towards the situation, Mafuyu stood up again, running out of the apartment in a rush, grabbing her shopping bag and keys again. She didn't even say a word as she left, leaving Takaomi to silently follow her with his eyes, before turning over on the futon to gaze listlessly at the ceiling. Shutting the door behind her with eyes falling on the wrench she had thrown a couple of stories below, she jogged along the sidewalk aimlessly, looking for a destination.

She needed to stay away for a while.

* * *

It was dark by the time she came back. Mafuyu had spent the rest of her day out, walking around the city, loitering around shopping centers like a high schooler would during the last day of summer.

Walking up the stairs to her apartment, Mafuyu noticed the police line "do not cross" tape covering her next-door neighbor's balcony above, with a few pieces of cardboard haphazardly taped where the glass was broken to maintain any semblance of privacy. Peering down the flights of steps, she looked for the wrench to find that it was gone. Swallowing slightly, Mafuyu reassured herself that she wore gloves. However, the police car parked down the block for patrol wasn't any consolation.

Reaching her door, she found a flyer attached, warning tenants of the dangerous crime attempt that happened today. She rolled her eyes, scoffing at the poster. At least there was barely anything to describe the culprit. Taking out her keys, she opened the door.

It was dark inside. Flicking on a light, Mafuyu looked around. "I'm home," she called out. No answer. "Takaomi-kun?" Her voice sounded hollow in the quiet apartment.

Taking off her shoes and making her way to the bedroom, she walked in, expecting him to be where she had left him. She found the futon, still completely undone, her apartment the way she had left it. Socks and gloves from the escapade in the afternoon littered the floor. He wasn't inside. Mafuyu found herself growing slightly irritated by the minute. _Why was he not here? Did he just get up and run?_ She made her way to the kitchen, the bathroom, and the living room: what she found there was nothing. The rooms were completely empty. She couldn't find him anywhere. She found herself sighing again in absolute exasperation, feeling surprisingly disappointed at the quiet state of her apartment. _So...he had really just gone up and left._ She felt a little bitter, knowing that they didn't even leave on comfortable terms. She had smashed another person's glass door in another attempt to get him to leave, committed unintentional vandalism, and had an uncomfortable image of seeing how he looked with her clothes on.

Really, Tuesday was a mixed bag of sorts. Waking up to find Takaomi crashing into her life, the afternoon filled with accidents, property damage and mishaps was beyond what she expected, and there were so many awkward moments that she couldn't believe she had the ability to face him in a fully functional social relationship. To be honest, Mafuyu should have felt relieved. Saeki Takaomi was gone as swiftly as he arrived. _Was today just a really crazy day? Or was it a dream?_

Washing up and putting on a nightshirt, Mafuyu couldn't help but stay awake for a few more hours. Although the night was comfortably warm and everything seemed to be settled, Mafuyu felt a little empty at the lack of excitement with which the day ended. She also couldn't help but feel slightly cheated by Takaomi and his sudden departure once more. _He's gone again, but oh well..._

Turning over on her side, Mafuyu felt her eyelids grow heavy and purposely shoved away any thoughts of Takaomi as she drifted off to sleep. After this harrowing day, nothing seemed to be more important to her than rest. As sleep took over, Mafuyu glanced from her place, noting the t-shirts still rolled up in masking tape on the floor, but quickly dismissed it.

Tomorrow, she'd have all the time in the world to think about it.


	5. Message Frenzy

When she woke up, Mafuyu could think of nothing else but the state of her room and the state of her hair—they both were in disarray beyond all comprehension. She blinked. The buzz of the cicadas lulled outside as the events from the last few days rushed back to her.  
  
He was gone.  
  
Takaomi was there, and then he was really gone. The bastard left once again without so much as a goodbye.  
  
Groaning, Mafuyu lazily rolled out of bed and started picking up the socks and shirts from her bedroom floor. She folded the towels that littered the floors and put back the items she had used. There was a wrench missing from her toolkit, probably in an evidence bag in the police station, but there wasn't anything she could do about that now. With Takaomi-kun gone, at least now her life would lapse back into normality.  
  
The okonomiyaki leftovers remained in the fridge, and one ugly printed shirt was missing from her closet, and that was that.  
  
Mafuyu was just getting to making her bed, when she noticed a small piece of paper nestled underneath the covers. _When had that been there?_ _Was it simply misplaced, or was it a memo to herself that she had forgotten?_ Taking it delicately (it looked like it had been folded a number of times), she opened it and skimmed the message:

 

> _Gotou Takaomi-san:_
> 
> _After so long, we have tracked you down. You are ours now. The deal is on the table; the scandal will be exposed if you do not comply._
> 
> _Fly out and meet a month from today to negotiate. Wear distinguishable clothing. We have chosen a proper location for neutral grounds._
> 
> _Hanabusa Grand Prince Hotel_   
>  _6-13-2 Takanawa, Minato_   
>  _Tokyo Prefecture 108-8612_   
>  _Ground Floor Lobby at 4 pm_
> 
> _X_

Mafuyu furrowed her eyebrows. _What the hell was this?_ It certainly wasn't hers, and she couldn't remember writing it.

The message was typed in bold writing on off-white watermarked paper. Upon reading it again and flipping it over, Mafuyu couldn't find out who it was from. Signed with the letter X, no date; the only other recognizable name besides Takaomi's that appeared on the note was the name "Hanabusa," and while it reminded her of someone familiar, it was the name of a hotel. In small writing near the corner of the note, she saw a small scribble: a few numbers that made up a phone number, although a digit towards the end was smudged. On the back, Mafuyu recognized the large strokes of Takaomi's writing.

The note had yesterday's date on the back, another date from when it was received, and a small note to self: _Go to Strawberry Heights: gather documents/materials, money, old clothes. ¥ 460,000,000. Transfer check. Confirm school's deed papers. Meet with X._ There was also another scribbled note detailing the day the appointment would take place at the hotel.

Mafuyu stared blankly.

This paper...it was really important. It was obviously Takaomi-kun's.

For a second, Mafuyu pondered the possibility of throwing it out. After all, it wasn't her paper, and it sure as hell wasn't her problem. With all that had happened, screw the fact that Takaomi-kun would kill her if he needed it later. She couldn't think of any other reason as to why it had been so carelessly left around...unless...

_Oh bullshit._

"Don't tell me he wanted me to deal with this!"

Mafuyu crumpled the piece of paper and cursed inwardly, her face heating in indignation from what she felt towards her god-be-damned childhood friend. Mafuyu pouted, puffing out her cheeks as she tried to temper her frustration. _Hadn't Takaomi-kun put her in enough trouble already?_ He appeared yesterday morning, turning her life upside down, only to disappear so quickly again to saddle her with problems like this. _She shouldn't have been made to deal with this!_ Contemplating the paper, she sighed heavily, unsure of what to do with it.

Deciding she had more maturity than in her younger years, she smoothed out the slight rumples she made in the document's surface and flipped it over a couple of times more. Her gaze fell on Takaomi's scrawl, looking at how haphazardly he wrote his notes. Shifting her gaze, Mafuyu glanced over to the bedside table by her futon. Opening a drawer, she shoved the piece of paper in and shut it with a loud bang before stalking off to clean up the hallway.

She'd keep the paper…but so long as she didn't have to deal with the consequences.

 _Out of sight, out of mind._ It was better forgotten.

After all, she had things to do and errands to run. She was a busy girl.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Mafuyu ran into _that one neighbor_ from next door for the first time.

Yes, the very same neighbor whose door she vandalized with a wrench, some rubber gloves and some misplaced priorities.

Miss Kato Urumi was a scrupulous Japanese literature teacher who, interestingly enough, started work at Midori Ga Oka Academy just this past school year. She was pretty and young with a delicate frame, but had a severe, bookish disposition that added age to her years. It made Mafuyu think more and more that Strawberry Heights was the type of complex that attracted shut-in academics with weird propensities (a mold that she felt she didn't fit into at all).

Their meeting was out of the ordinary.

Mafuyu was just returning from local shops in the area to inquire for any part-time jobs or referrals, when all of a sudden, she crashed into Kato Urumi, who was just on her way back from grocery shopping. Kato-san, with her pale skin and dark hair, let out a girlish shriek, and, after seeing the shocked, wide-eyed, apologetic expression on the twenty-year-old's face, let out an amused chuckle and invited Mafuyu in for tea.

Soon after formal greetings and introductions, Mafuyu followed Kato-san into her apartment, noting first and foremost that, while the complex's layout was very much like her apartment, the interior and the atmosphere was something else. Kato-san's apartment was nice, streamlined and tidy, just like its tenant, with pretty pink pastels softening the stark, dark wood furniture that seemed to be matched accordingly, from the living room to the kitchen.

While Kato-san disappeared into the kitchen to put away her groceries, Mafuyu sat quietly, excited to be meeting her other mystery next-door neighbor after so long, but equally uncomfortable at the thought that _this_ was the very woman whose balcony door she had unrepentantly smashed with a wrench and unwittingly terrorized _just yesterday_. Still completely taken by the impeccable tidiness of Kato-san's apartment, Mafuyu internally flinched, quite mortified with herself for having caused trouble for this clean, aristocratic woman, who seemed to be very much the "Ojou-sama" type that Mafuyu still admired from afar as the "perfect lady."

Kato-san sat at the low living room table with Mafuyu, warmly smiling at her while she poured a glass of iced green tea for the girl in front of her as they talked.

"You know, Kurosaki-san, I can't believe that we haven't met until now. We've been neighbors for quite a while."

Her voice was soft and restrained, but discerning. Mafuyu almost disbelievingly shook her head at her realization that this very same person was the one who shouted rather shocking expletives in a rage when calling the police yesterday. However, upon meeting Kato-san's sharp, steel grey eyes, she reconsidered. This woman was capable of biting a person's head off in the nicest way possible, she imagined.

"Kato-san, no problem at all. I'm glad we were finally able to meet. I've actually been busy at college for the last few years and just graduated, so I...uh...haven't been around," Mafuyu said as amicably as possible.

Even after college, it was always hard to start new friendships with girls.

Kato-san inclined her head, bringing her own glass to her lips, closing her eyes. "Oh, I see."

She sipped her tea delicately, the clinking of glass heard as ice shifted in the cup. "Well, I suppose you haven't heard that my apartment was almost broken into by a dirty thieving little scoundrel," she said almost breezily, despite the thin layer of animosity that laced the surface of her voice. Kato-san looked up and locked eyes with Mafuyu with a piercing glare.

In the process of nervously downing her tea, Mafuyu almost choked.

In the next moments, she could do nothing but sit quietly under Kato-san's steely gaze. Mafuyu could feel herself shifting uncomfortably under Kato-san's stare. Upon the mention of the accident, Kato-san was looking more and more like there were a couple sticks up her ass, the number increasing by the second. If she ever found out that it was Mafuyu who smashed her door frame, she'd have Mafuyu's head on a platter. Mafuyu frowned grimly.

"Can you believe that, Kurosaki-san? The door to my balcony was smashed just yesterday afternoon." Kato-san's voice dropped off into a whisper. "I do imagine though that you must have seen the flyers around the complex."

"I-I...I...uh..." Mafuyu didn't know whether to run away or apologize profusely. Just looking at Kato-san made her want to admit her wrongdoing and fall to her knees to beg forgiveness.

"I mean, it's totally unbelievable. You wouldn't believe what that young boy looked like with the outfit he wore, and I still don't know how in the world he got up to my third-floor balcony. I swear, who does these things?" Kato-san intoned with a sniff, looking positively affronted. Kato-san looked back in the direction behind her arbitrarily, where the door of her bedroom should have been, down the hallway. She then turned back to Mafuyu and spoke conversationally, rambling on. Kato-san couldn't understand why anyone would want to rob her, a high school teacher with meager pay, of all people, living in an apartment complex like this, with its unassuming exterior and humble accommodations.

Sputtering and laughing shakily, Mafuyu forced herself to speak. "Wow. I'm so sorry Kato-san," she croaked out almost inaudibly. Her throat was incredibly dry despite having finished most of her tea. She didn't think she could bear any more of this conversation.

"Oh, don't feel sorry. Don't feel sorry at all. Feel sorry for the little cockroach once he gets captured. The police are circling the block for the next few weeks. I have no doubt he'll be taken to justice. I can't wait to see the day," Kato-san spoke pleasantly, but her eyes glinted maliciously.

Mafuyu noticeably shuddered at that statement, but kept her tone bubbly. "Oh. Well, seems to be someone who's bored with nothing to do," she blurted, immediately shifting her eyes to avoid meeting Kato-san's gaze.

Kato-san sat back, a few fingers running through her ponytail. "Hmm…you think so? Must be a delinquent or something then," she muttered with distaste. Mafuyu choked again, a gurgle escaping from her throat. "Anyway Kurosaki-san, what have you been up to?" she asked, looking at Mafuyu expectantly.

Hesitating slightly under Kato-san's unassuming scrutiny, Mafuyu cleared her throat, stuttering slightly as she tried to calm herself. _Oh, nothing special. Just, you know, smashing people's balcony doors the other day with wrenches, you know, like yours. Did you like the huge drafty hole it made in your bedroom? Yeah, I totally thought your door needed it._ Yeah, seriously, Mafuyu couldn't do this."Umm...well, umm...actually, I've been looking for a job, and I studied liberal arts, so it's been hard..."

Mafuyu looked up to see Kato-san's sharp gaze light up in appraisal and almost felt herself blush. While she was scared stiff at the thought of Kato-san's capability for unbridled rage, she couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness from the approval of an "Ojou-sama."

"How wonderful," Kato-san said pensively. She put down her glass, her severe expression softening. "I actually took liberal arts as my major in college too. It helps a lot in teaching, you know." Kato-san looked away for a moment, before leaning towards Mafuyu. "Have you considered being a teacher? Or working in a school?" Kato-san smiled.

Mafuyu stared at Kato-san incredulously. She decided then that she wouldn't tell Kato-san that the primary reason she picked the major was because it was vague but fancy-sounding enough to seem legitimate, and easy enough to cram for when tests came. Honestly, she didn't know what she wanted to be, but she sure as hell was not going to become a teacher.

When Mafuyu didn't respond, Kato-san continued thoughtfully. "I was surprised when you told me that you graduated from the high school where I now teach. It's my first year there, but it's actually a pretty wonderful place. And I'm sure you'd do just fine in an administrative position there if you haven't done any teaching certification programs yet. We do need a new receptionist for the teacher's office."

Mafuyu blinked, and started to shake her head in alarm, stuttering. "Ah, umm...Kato-san, this is very appealing, but I'm not sure—"

"Nonsense! I'm sure you'd do just fine. You seem like a sweet girl and it would be good to get more experience," Kato beamed. "It won't hurt to send in an application. I can always help you."

Mafuyu opened her mouth, and then closed it, sighing inwardly at the whole conversation.

 _Work at Midori Ga Oka Academy? This crazy woman must be fucking joking_.

Mafuyu knew that the whole point of her education was to get through it safely and then do something awesome in the professional world, not go back to the abominable educational system and live through its torture as a staff member indefinitely. She was convinced that after college, she would have nothing to do with teaching, or education, or school. And then there was the issue of working for _Takaomi_...

Mafuyu's eyes threatened to roll to the back of her head. _Oh god. Kill me now._

She shuddered to think of Takaomi-kun as her boss. _With his sadism, perverseness_ _and all-around cruelty in full swing, no doubt._ She fleetingly remembered what Takaomi-kun said about paying for her utilities and that she would work for him and house him until his situation, whatever it was, blew over. She resisted the urge to put her hands in her face and groan. _Well, at least he's not here anymore, so I don't have to work for him_.

But to think that another job seemed to pop up readily that just happened to be connected to Takaomi-kun…the universe wanted her to live in complete and utter servitude to him, didn't it?

Scooting closer to Mafuyu, Kato-san's face lit up conspiratorially. "Kurosaki-san, it isn't so bad, really. The staff is really friendly and it's easy to get along with everyone. Also, our interim principal and supervisors are very understanding and involved in the school," she said with a prim smile. Kato-san's thin brows furrowed slightly. "Although I hear the chairman is a very secretive person…"

Mafuyu almost wanted to laugh out loud. _Yeah, he is. He's also the biggest asshole ever_ , she thought sardonically. She wondered what Kato-san would say if Kato-san ever found out about the type of person Takaomi-kun really was.

Kato-san looked away, her complexion a slight pink. "Actually, I never met our director personally. But from what I've heard from the other teachers and seen in the newsletters, the director is really, really gorgeous. Like, incredibly handsome. And he's single," Kato-san sighed dreamily.

Mafuyu gagged, choking on her own spit. She could not empathize with Kato-san at all.

Kato-san tilted her head in thought. "Then again, he also seems to like to hire women. Almost all of our staff is female," she mumbled mostly to herself.

 _What the hell? All female staff?_ Mafuyu imagined Midori Ga Oka's entire faculty as Takaomi-kun's own personal harem. _Figures._ Mafuyu stared at Kato-san closely. Actually, if Midori Ga Oka's staff were thought of that way, it made sense why she would be hired. Kato-san was a young, pretty lady, and upon looking at her more carefully, she had this hot-librarian thing going on. And with her prudish "Ojou-sama" demeanor, there was no doubt that she would be some sort of challenge for Takaomi-kun—

_Oh god._

Mafuyu shuddered to think where her brain was going. It was sort of unnerving that she was mentally undressing her next-door neighbor she had just met and involuntarily terrorized via vandalism in an attempt to accurately understand the workings of Takaomi's psyche.

And she was succeeding. _Ugh_.

It really seemed like she knew his turn-ons too well. Mafuyu almost blamed Takaomi-kun for predicting that she would become just as much of a pervert as he was when she grew up.

Unable to stare at Kato-san any longer, Mafuyu grabbed her glass and downed what was left inside the cup. She needed to distract herself and retain the remains of her tattered dignity...nevermind the fact that her bladder was about to burst with the cups of tea she drank. Trying to remain courteous throughout this whole ordeal was already a pain in the ass. If she could handle the pain of going through social etiquette now, she could deal with another uncomfortable urge that propelled her to move and get the fuck out of there. After all, needing to pee distracted her enough _not_ to feel bad about the whole "broken-glass-door" thing...

"Anyway Kurosaki-san, just think about it. I think it will be good for you. Classes don't start until a couple of weeks from now," Kato-san said sweetly.

To Mafuyu's surprise and dread, she involuntarily flinched when Kato-san raised a delicate hand and rested her cool fingers on Mafuyu's arm. Mafuyu could feel a full-body sweat threaten to break out. She grimaced slightly.

"You know Kurosaki-san, I actually can't thank you enough for sitting here with me right now. It's been nice having company since the…incident yesterday, and I'm really glad I got to meet you," Kato-san's lips spread slightly to form a small smile. "To be honest, it was sort of hard sleeping here since then, and I never really gotten around to meet any of the tenants around here, so thanks. Luckily, the landlord promised to take care of the damage, but my rent will be a little high for a few months..."

Upon hearing that, Mafuyu bolted up, a pained look threatening to appear on her face. The ugly head of guilt reared its head, and Mafuyu knew she had to do something. "Ah, Kato-san, I can help you with anything if you'd like, just ask," Mafuyu's rambling ended abruptly as she trailed off, as her face becoming more and more steadily red. She couldn't believe she was saying something this familiar when she had just met the lady. Mafuyu already felt indebted to her for the accident that took place yesterday, but even now, Mafuyu knew she wouldn't have the financial means to help Kato-san even if she wanted to...

Kato-san's eyes widened, looking slightly taken aback for a second before she softened her eyes. "Kurosaki-san, your thoughts are in the right place, but—"

"What was that job again? Administrative receptionist? I'll take it," Mafuyu blurted, almost a little too eagerly. She winced. _Shit._ She immediately wanted to smack herself for being less than sensitive in front of a lovely "Ojou-sama" like Kato-san. "I mean, who...shall I...uh...call to inquire about the job?" Mafuyu corrected herself. After a few seconds of tight-lipped smiling, she couldn't help but groan a little. She sounded more stupid than she could have thought possible in this situation.

"Oh," Kato-san lit up, eyes shining as she ran over to a small cabinet to retrieve a piece of paper and pencil before scribbling down a number with meticulous writing that mirrored her personality. "Here, Kurosaki-san," she said, handing the scrap of paper over.

Taking the piece of paper and looking it over, Mafuyu shoved it in the pocket of her jean shorts and thanked Kato brightly, large eyes looking up intently.

Kato-san regarded her quietly with a small smile. "Just make sure to visit soon. I really need a friend more than anything. It was nice unloading all of my worries to you about that little criminal," she said, showing Mafuyu to the door as Mafuyu laughed nervously.

After a short goodbye, Mafuyu found herself back in her own apartment.

The place remained quiet and unassuming, as it had been, the way she had left it. Takaomi-kun was nowhere in sight. Shutting the door behind her, she took out the piece of paper with Kato-san's referral and smiled softly, unsure of how to feel about it.

 _Should she really apply seriously?_ It was a job after all, but it was a job that would undoubtedly lead her back to Takaomi-kun. Shaking her head, Mafuyu mentally set her priorities straight. _She'd need this job to get money for Kato-san and for herself. Nevermind Takaomi-kun. It wasn't like he was here anyway, since yesterday was just a weird circumstance._ She'd call up first thing in the morning to inquire about the position.

From the kitchen, Mafuyu's forgotten cell phone let out a loud jingle, disturbing the quiet space of her apartment.

Mafuyu jumped in surprise. She never got messages like this. Rushing over with shining eyes, she snatched it from the counter and peered at the screen.

_A voicemail?_

No.

There were _twenty_ voicemails. All from Hayasaka.

Mafuyu didn't know whether to feel elated about the fact that she got a ton of messages, or terrified that Hayasaka called her more times now than he ever did at any point in the time that she knew him as a friend.

Something was up...at this point, she wasn't sure as to what she should do.

Mafuyu turned around as a thumping noise at the door bolted her out of her thoughts. The banging was incessant and loud. Taking her cell phone with her, Mafuyu hurried back to the door and went to answer it.

"Coming!" She yelled. Immediately, the knocking stopped. When she turned the doorknob, she could do nothing but blink.

An agitated young man with copper-blonde locks stood, clutching a small duffel bag in his left hand. Gaze briefly falling to the phone Mafuyu held in her hand, he looked up to meet her eyes with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Kurosaki," he intoned gravely.

Mafuyu gaped, unable to work the words out of her mouth.

"Haya...Hayasaka-kun?" Her voice came out as a squeak.

Dropping his bag, Hayasaka lightly grabbed Mafuyu's arm all of a sudden, looking it over. "Any bruises anywhere? Does this hurt?" he asked, firmly prodding at the soft flesh of her upper arm. "Where is that bastard?"

Too much in shock to respond properly, Mafuyu shook her head mutely, still gaping. _Huh?_ Seriously, what the hell was he doing here?!

Hayasaka narrowed his eyes into a squint, indelicately patting down the rest of Mafuyu's limbs for any telltale signs of abuse. Upon finding none, Hayasaka straightened up, looking at Mafuyu with an odd mixture of disdain, frustration and absolute pity.

"Kurosaki, you're alone."

"Hayasaka-kun...?" His name seemed to be the only thing she could say at the moment without losing her marbles.

"Kurosaki, you need to tell me these things. To think he could just storm out and abandon you like this. Is he coming back tonight or what?"

Mafuyu's eyes snapped wide open in alarm from their daze.

_What was he talking about? Did he mean Takaomi-kun? How did he know?_

In response, Mafuyu made an unintelligible noise that came across as a gurgled scream and a soft whine. She really, _really_ didn't know what to do in situations like these. On top of that, the thought of Takaomi-kun coming back was a little too much to comprehend. _Holy shit._ She needed to say something now, even if her voice came out as a croak.

"Umm...Hayasaka-kun...what are you—"

Hayasaka shook his head in frustration, completely bothered by Mafuyu's bewildered state. "Yeah…this is not going to work, Kurosaki. Obviously, you're just as distracted as you were when you called me before." Ushering himself in, Hayasaka parked his things on the couch before walking over to check the rooms. "Obviously, knowing how you've been completely whipped into servitude, you're probably covering for him. Is he hiding?"

Mafuyu watched nervously from the living room as Hayasaka flitted back and forth, pacing across the hallways, kicking open the doors and yelling "COME OUT YOU BASTARD" to different areas of the complex. Feeling an impending feeling of doom build in her chest, Mafuyu found herself starting sentences to explain what she thought was a huge misunderstanding on Hayasaka's part. _After all, the last time she talked to him, things didn't end too clearly…_

Meanwhile, upon finding no such "bastard in hiding," Hayasaka made his way over to Mafuyu before meeting her gaze with a deadpan expression on his face. Seeing her about to speak, Hayasaka clapped his hand over her mouth and leveled his gaze squarely with hers. He wouldn't take any chances with her nonsensical babble now, especially if she was going to defend a slimeball who abused her in a sham of a relationship.

"Kurosaki," he began again in a low voice.

Mafuyu, too shell-shocked to respond properly, was afraid of what was coming next, so she thought a one syllable word would suffice for now. "Yes?" She answered with a muffled tone.

Hayasaka didn't even bat an eyelash as he delivered his next few lines with an authority akin to duty and a matronly sense of self-righteousness.

"Kurosaki, obviously, you have not been returning my phone calls since our last talk. Obviously, that means you have been avoiding the inevitable, what with trying to maintain this messy relationship of yours, and the inevitable has come now. Therefore, obviously, this is an intervention and I will be here for you no matter what. So, as if it weren't so obvious as it is, take what I have to offer and stop seeing that abusive boyfriend of yours," he said matter-of-factly, with a nod of his head.

When Mafuyu stood catatonic in response to his words, Hayasaka decided Kurosaki needed something more in such a fragile state. _Ah, yes..._

Hayasaka nodded again with the confidence of one who was experienced with these problems.

 _Of course_. _Kurosaki was a normal girl, after all. She should be treated with the same sensitivity as all other girls._ So he moved in and encircled her with one arm, patting her head. "Okay. Yes. There there, here's a hug."

Mafuyu startled out of her petrifaction as she felt herself crushed against Hayasaka's broad chest. Her eyes widened impossibly as a strange expression of confusion clouded over them, rendering her immobile.

For once, she realized this was the first hug she had with him that she hadn't instigated herself. Feeling unbelievably giddy for a moment, the feeling was squashed as she cynically realized that if it were any other time, in any other place, in any other type of situation, with Hayasaka, she wouldn't feel as shitty and perplexed about what he was saying just now.

Abusive relationship? _Where in the_ fuck _did that come from?_

As Mafuyu started to remember the phone call she had with Hayasaka-kun from the day before, Mafuyu could feel the internal screaming in her head getting louder and louder.

Her eyes flattened themselves to a disbelieving stare. _Well, fuck._

There would be a lot of explaining to do.

* * *


	6. Newsflash

If there was someone that Hayasaka knew better than anyone else in the whole entire world, it would have had to be Kurosaki Mafuyu.

Since high school, Hayasaka knew for the most part that he was pretty unobservant about many things, but Kurosaki was transparent, readily predictable, and...quite... _simple_ , to be honest. Clumsy, strange and unfailingly odd were probably her best characteristics, and they were all things that Hayasaka found troublesome, and perhaps a bit endearing. No matter how Hayasaka thought about it, Kurosaki was definitely a quick study: she was an open book, with bold large printed letters that had the reading difficulty level of a first grade picture novel.

That is why, when she denied any existence of an abusive boyfriend, he could hardly believe her.

_Why was she so bent on holding onto delusions and lies?!_

While he was a son of a rich conglomerate, Hayasaka found himself more of a people-person, able to understand their inner workings at the drop of a hat. Or at least, he thought so now, after having been inspired to pursue a college degree from the prodding and encouragement of his idols, Natsuo and—Hayasaka's face reddened at the thought of her—his beloved Usa-Chan-Man. Of course, Kurosaki was there too (she had always been by his side like a loyal Labrador puppy when he was about to do something important with his life). And now that he was studying psychology, in his fourth and final year at Osaka University, he knew that he couldn't have gotten it all wrong. He just couldn't. Not even when Kurosaki said something like...

"Hayasaka-kun. No, you've seriously gotten it all wrong. The one who was staying with me was Saeki-sensei. There is no boyfriend."

Hayasaka blinked. _Kurosaki telling him that he was mistaken?_ No way.

 _And when in the hell did Saeki become a part of the equation?_ It was too improbable.

He had just flown in on an afternoon flight from Osaka when he arrived in the city of his old high school to meet Kurosaki. It was the most he could do on such short notice. After trying to reach Kurosaki about a dozen or so times, the anxiety was too much to bear. He was running on almost no sleep when he arrived. His head was pounding and his chest hurt. _And she said that there was really nothing to worry about?_

Kurosaki sat next to Hayasaka on her living room couch, staring up at him determinedly. She looked mighty serious, a huge difference from her usual bubbly manner. Seeing her expression, Hayasaka shook his head in distress. _Ugh._ Kurosaki just wouldn't let up, would she?

With a scowl set on his determined face, he spoke to her, as if to a frightened bird. "Listen Kurosaki," he said with a sigh, "everyone knows that Saeki hasn't been seen or heard from since three years ago. All of his phone lines were dead and no one knew where he left off to. You know that better than anyone else." He reached up to continue patting her head reassuringly. It seemed to calm Kurosaki down, despite the worried wrinkle between her brows as she stared at him with concern. "Not to mention," Hayasaka muttered, "there was that scandal he was caught up in right after the director's funeral at school..."

Kurosaki seemed to perk up at his words. "What? A scandal? When?" She looked thoroughly confused.

Hayasaka stared accusingly at Kurosaki, completely disbelieving of her reaction. _That Kurosaki...didn't she ever read the news?_ There were quirks that were absolutely adorable about his good friend, but her lack of awareness was not one of them. When Kurosaki just stared back at him, dumbfounded, Hayasaka fought the urge to hit her over the head. _That idiot blockhead!_ He really couldn't believe that she didn't even manage to look it up.

Hayasaka huffed, grimacing as he recalled the article. "It was in the news before," he explained irritably. "Saeki was accused by an important source of being a delinquent in his earlier years, as well as being part of the yakuza. Because of those accusations, school district officials and their media tried to forcibly remove him from his seat as chairman in the months following, but then he disappeared and the cases were dropped. Of course, all of the news reports weren't as detailed to explain what happened...so..."

Hayasaka trailed off, unsure of where he was going with this. _Why was he even bothering to explain this to Kurosaki?_ This was old news anyway, and it was completely unrelated to the real problem. _Yes, that's right. The_ real _problem._ Hayasaka took a deep breath, looking his friend straight in the eye. For good measure, he placed both hands firmly on her shoulders. "Kurosaki, we can't avoid it anymore. Tell me who this guy is so I can pound his ass!" He needed to get to the bottom of this, regardless of how stubborn Kurosaki was.

"But...Hayasaka-kun," Kurosaki started, her eyes getting that creepy shine whenever he did something that was expected of him. "There is no guy. It _really_ was Saeki-sensei. Saeki-sensei was here with me. I'm serious."

Hayasaka stared flatly at Kurosaki, unable to understand her weird behavior, and worse, her newfound ability to use phrases that were not in her vocabulary at all. Serious? _Yeah, right._ He'd dye his hair black when he'd see the day. Opening his mouth to deny her, Hayasaka was stunned when Kurosaki continued to speak.

"Saeki-sensei showed up yesterday. He even took a shower here," Kurosaki blushed briefly with furrowed brows as she recalled the incident. Hayasaka found himself recoiling at the impropriety. "He came here, and then there were police and then..." She trailed off, lost in deep thought. Hayasaka faltered. She really wasn't good at recalling past events, was she?

Hayasaka slumped into the sofa as the sides of his temples started hurting. _What was all this about Saeki being at her apartment again?  
_

Hayasaka could feel the stress building inside of him. No matter the fact that he spent the previous night booking this impromptu trip, packing, and finishing off his homework so that he can afford to come see Kurosaki in her time of need...it was all starting to get to him. Could it be? Could it really be that Saeki and Kurosaki...?

"Wait. Saeki's back?" Hayasaka questioned, interrupting his own train of thought.

As much as he remembered his old high school teacher, there were just things that just didn't leave him. Including the memory of catching Natsuo and Saeki embracing each other in the bushes. _Especially_ that memory of Natsuo and Saeki embracing each other in the bushes. Hayasaka shuddered.

Actually, the more he thought about it, Hayasaka was relieved that Kurosaki couldn't have possibly been dating someone like their old high school teacher Saeki. After all, thought Hayasaka, Saeki was a flaming homosexual. It was undeniable, with all the heated whispers of passion that he'd exchange with Natsuo during their encounters. All of the waist grabbing, and the sexual tension between the two during high school...yeah. If Natsuo was like his flaming homosexual older brother, Saeki was like his flaming homosexual...uncle. Who was scary. Or something like that. There was nothing really that bad about him visiting Kurosaki—

"Saeki-sensei even said that he wanted to live here," Kurosaki looked positively harassed, mumbling to herself. "He even took a nap in my bed. Twice. And he used my towel. And borrowed my clothes." The more she continued, the more it seemed like Kurosaki was retreating into the recesses of her mind as she relived everything that had happened to her.

Hayasaka had to repeat what Kurosaki was saying in his head. One time was not enough to register it. _Saeki used her towel? He sleeps in her bed? And wears her clothes?_ Everything about what Kurosaki was saying sounded so intimate. The last one even sounded...kinky. Were they _really_ together? Hayasaka found his mind breaking down at the thought of the situation.

It was worse than Hayasaka imagined. Either _he_ was delusional, or...was Saeki cheating on Natsuo with an unwilling Kurosaki? Was Saeki even still _with_ Natsuo? Is it because he switched teams? Girls over guys? Was he _bisexual_ now? _Oh my._ Hayasaka's eyes reduced themselves to tiny slits.

_Saeki, the bisexual predator! Ruining girls' and boys' innocence one relationship at a time!  
_

Hayasaka sank lower into the sofa cushions, grasping his head. The throbbing in his head increased, pounding relentlessly. It was all too much...he couldn't make sense of it. _He just couldn't..._

The room started to spin as Hayasaka felt himself slide further into the cushions. _Was it getting hot in here or what?_ Reaching over to the armrest to help himself sit up, Hayasaka lurched slightly, his vision blurring. Kurosaki started yelling in distress, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. _Why was it getting difficult to focus?_

Hayasaka made a move to stand up. Suddenly, the room shifted sideways. His eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

The evenings in Tokyo were far from relaxed.

Men and women came home from work on jam-packed bullet trains. Lights flashed and traffic whirred around the busiest arteries of the city. The cool, summer evening air made bars, restaurant stalls and open yakitori stands prime places for coworkers to drink with bosses, after braving the day's sweltering heat.

In the heart of the bustling city of Tokyo, the Hanabusa Grand Prince Hotel stood proudly, its tall statuesque front gleaming in the midst of urban lights. Inside, its black, white and copper color scheme mirrored the unrepentant and sleek nature of the building, blending in seamlessly with the neo-chrome hyper-tech feel of the Tokyo cityscape. The lobby was wide and spacious with stark ceilings that gave an ominous but regal feel. Even with the humidity outside, the hotel stood like an elegant ice box that was comfortably cool inside. Presidents, businessmen, ambassadors and lawyers all gathered and booked rooms for conference meetings at this fine hotel around the clock.

In short, the Hanabusa Grand Prince Hotel was an exact reflection of the picturesque urban culture surrounding it—its lights were always on. It was always busy. The hotel never slept.

That is why it was strange that the top floor of the hotel always remained pitch black at night, the soft incandescent lighting dimmed in the evenings, the air stagnant and motionless. Moonlight cast a glow inside the room from its surrounding glass walls, as city noises remained far away, down below in the streets. The room was grandiose and spacious, the whirr of the air conditioning nearly silent. After all, it was the penthouse suite, built only for the heir of the hotel himself.

Two figures sat in the dark of the top floor's suite, a smiling young man playing idly with a thin ballpoint pen as he sat behind a large mahogany desk, while another young man knelt in submission by his side. A smooth voice, one that never grew out of its effeminate timbre, broke the silence.

"Oh my."

The seated figure shifted, gaze lowered to look through long lashes. Thin, pale fingers extended themselves to graze over a number of documents spread out haphazardly over the polished desk's surface, finally resting on a photo from a newspaper clipping. The other hand twirled the pen restlessly, suddenly coming to a stop as soon as the clock struck seven in the evening.

The kneeling figure looked up from the floor slightly in acknowledgment. "Miyabi-sama?"

Hanabusa Miyabi shifted once again, eyes indolently raking over the various news clippings and documents before letting out a sigh through parted lips. "What a pity." Diverting his attention, he turned to address his partner. "Isn't it, Shinobu?"

Shinobu Yui, ever-present as Miyabi-sama's pseudo-ninja bodyguard and self-appointed servant, dared to raise his eyes just barely. "Ah, yes, Miyabi-sama."

The Hanabusa family's heir tilted his head towards his companion with a thoughtful expression on his face, relaxing into a slouch in his cushioned seat. "I didn't think that he'd come back after so long. Or that we'd end up getting ourselves involved so soon. Or that Father would leak these papers as to make them accessible to me now," he continued listlessly. "After all, it's quite trivial and in the past...this development." He began twirling the pen again, clicking it intermittently, disturbing the silence of the penthouse.

"But, I admit that this is much more interesting than busying ourselves with academia or the hotel's affairs." Miyabi smiled a fraction as he clicked the pen open, suddenly circling the face of Saeki Takaomi in black ink on a newspaper clipping dated three years ago. "Don't you think?"

At this, Shinobu inclined his head towards Miyabi, carefully avoiding his gaze. "Yes, Miyabi-sama."

Miyabi shifted lazily once again in his chair, sitting up to pull a copy of a document addressed to a certain 'Gotou-san' on the desk towards him. Extending his arm, he held it out in front of Shinobu's face, showing the message. A secretive smile graced his face. "Look here. According to this, there will be a meeting here in two weeks. In the lobby."

Shinobu's breath hitched in eagerness. He kept his voice impassive. "Miyabi-sama. Would you like me to investigate the subject until then?"

At this, Miyabi let out a loud raucous laugh, which echoed in the space around them. "Ah, but, you know that it would mean missing school. Can't have that happen. We are students of Tokyo's top university in our final year," he said with twinkling eyes.

"First and foremost, I am your loyal subject. At this point, if I cannot keep up with schoolwork and fulfill my duties to you, I am not worthy to be in your presence, Miyabi-sama," Shinobu said with resolute fervor, eyes set in determination. He pushed the bridge of his glasses, the lenses catching the moonlight, masking his eyes behind the reflected glare.

Miyabi's gaze lowered, his dark eyes forming crescents in amusement as he sat back in his chair. "Ah, well. You're very confident about this." Taking a final glance at the news clipping of Saeki Takaomi, Miyabi put his pen down on the table with a _clink_.

The penthouse's air conditioning started up again, filling the silence with its almost inaudible whirring. Turning fully to stare down at Shinobu, as if he dared his bespectacled companion to look him in the eye, Miyabi smiled, his lips spreading into a grin.

"Well then, Shinobu. I give you the responsibility to do what's necessary."

* * *

It was already late at night when Mafuyu sat in her kitchen alone, turning a glass of cold water in her hands.

The countertop was littered with various takeout boxes and instant packages from earlier for dinner. All what remained was a tiny sliver of Banchou's Nekomata okonomiyaki, still lying in its box. Sitting back in the chair and resting her head against the countertop, Mafuyu heaved a sigh and gave a groan of exasperation. She ate silently by herself, of course. Munching away at her last bite of a late dinner, Mafuyu couldn't help but ruminate over her current situation.

_First Takaomi-kun, and now Hayasaka-kun..._

What sick joke was Fate trying to play? It was as if her apartment was open lodging for anyone who stumbled through the door.

A few hours earlier, she struggled trying to drag Hayasaka-kun's unconscious body across her living room floor, and spent the next hour trying to prop him up on her futon. The boy was heavy, despite her inhuman strength, she thought. Unceremoniously stripping his jacket from his torso, Mafuyu found Hayasaka-kun burning up, and promptly took out a washcloth, ran it under the sink and slapped it over her friend's face as he laid unconscious. It had to be heat stroke or a fever, no doubt.

_If he didn't wear so many layers..._

Mafuyu shook her head. She couldn't believe it.

Hadn't she had enough trauma for one week? Everything that had happened in the last few days came at her like a wave. And then there was Takaomi-kun's random departure...

_Ugh._

Biting back a curse, Mafuyu impulsively chugged what remaining water was left in her glass for the sake of not thinking about it. Her fist tightened around the cup. _How could she even let go of the fact that he simply left as soon as he appeared?_ It was truly unbelievable. So many things were out of place. There was too much to worry about.

There was that job interview and application that Kato-san told her about. And then Hayasaka-kun, who left a ton of messages on her phone and showed up at her doorstep randomly, only to kick in all of her doors in an attempt to convince her to break up with a nonexistent boyfriend...

Mafuyu slumped in her chair at the thought.

Tiredly forcing herself to sit up, Mafuyu grabbed her phone and idly began flipping through her voicemail to listen to the messages Hayasaka left her. It was strange hearing him speak the way he did. So much urgency...

_"Kurosaki! Pick up the phone, damn it!"_

_"Idiot! Did you turn off your cell phone?"_

_"Don't tell me that asshole is holding your phone from you! Is he controlling your calls?"  
_

_"If so, then this message is for him: I'm going to kick his bastard ass!"_

_"Wait until I get there..."_

_"Why aren't you answering?"_

_"Kurosaki, please..."_

Mafuyu's flippant laughter died down during the last few messages, after hearing the increasing desperation in her friend's voice. Her fond smile faded slightly as she lowered her gaze. _Had he really been that worried?_

Over the years, Hayasaka really had become something else. He had always been so great to her, but ever since graduation and his "loss" of his heroes Usa-Chan-Man and Natsuo, he increasingly had gotten so protective of her. It was as if his need to live up to his heroes had manifested itself as his extreme and constant worry over her well-being. To see the extent of his protectiveness was both alarming and heartwarming. It was really frustrating seeing him so stressed nowadays...

Sitting back in her chair, Mafuyu sighed and closed her eyes. Making Hayasaka-kun worry was the last thing she wanted to do. Most of the time, it was enough just talking with him and knowing that they had remained such good friends, even through college. _If only he could just see that..._

_He didn't have to do all that for me. Really._

Taking a deep breath, Mafuyu closed her phone and set it aside. Getting up, she softly padded her way over to her room where Hayasaka lay, sprawled over her futon covers with a damp washcloth over his forehead. Kneeling down, Mafuyu pulled over a small bowl she set aside filled with cool water. She took the washcloth from his forehead, dipping it in the water before ringing it out. Folding it somewhat carelessly, she laid it over his forehead with a loud _slap_.

She blinked. _Eh. You'd think he'd wake up sooner than later..._

Slowly making her way back to the kitchen, Mafuyu decided she couldn't sleep. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil from a drawer on her way over, she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. _Ah. Wow. Twelve midnight._

Feeling inspired, she sat down to make a list.

If she hadn't started doing anything yet to plan for her post-grad life, it might as well be now. Tomorrow morning, it would be a new day and this time, Mafuyu wouldn't let it go to waste, Hayasaka-kun and Takaomi-kun to consider or not. She was going to do something for herself.

Sitting at the countertop in the kitchen, she started writing out her day.

She'd do it all first thing in the morning.


	7. Cold Pillows

_Well,_ she thought. A new day.

She was going to…

 _Umm...yeah. Just no_.

Everything about this was really going to be something else.

Stepping into Midori Ga Oka was one thing when she went there as a student, but three years later, the buildings looked completely different. Gone were the graffiti markings all over the old school dorms. Gone were the old facilities…

Well at least most of them, Mafuyu thought as she headed to the administrative building. All that was there was chrome, chrome and more freaking chrome among the sleek refurbished buildings on campus. The campus still retained the old dormitories, which had its charming architectural aesthetics and the pretty fountain in front had remained, but Mafuyu couldn't help but feel the same nervousness she felt since she was starting high school at this place when she was fifteen. The campus felt at least twice as bigger than it was before... _didn't it_?

Pulling down her pencil skirt and straightening her shirt collar, Mafuyu made sure she looked at least a little presentable. Rather than simply allowing herself to wait for the application, Mafuyu was going to visit the school to look for Kato-san, whom she had called earlier, and go out to lunch with her. From there she would charmingly acquaint herself with Kato-san's colleagues on the way back to the office and inquire in person about the position as non-awkwardly as she could, all while maintaining a professional demeanor that was all but not desperate and reeking of a new graduate's skittishness. Or at least...yeah. That was the plan.

 _It would be perfect_ , she thought. Draping a small bag over her thin shoulder, Mafuyu puffed out her chest and made her way across the lovely campus before finally stepping into the administrative building, one that she had never really paid attention to or had known about when she was a student. Eh, showed how much she paid attention, she shook her head morosely. Stuffing a glossy campus map in her little purse, she walked down the hallway to find the directory and learn where Kato-san's office was.

Mafuyu made her way down the white hallways of the administrative building, looking briefly at the office doors to check their numbers. Kato-san's office must be on the first floor, she thought. Turning right and left again, she found herself at the door. She knocked on the door. Silence. Jiggled the doorknob. The lights seemed to be off. Pondering the school map, Mafuyu was sure that Kato-san's office was this one, even though it seemed vacant.

Hmm, strange, she wondered. Mafuyu looked at the campus map again.

Kato-san's office. 107B, first floor lobby of the administrative building. Mafuyu traced the office sign with her finger. Near the lobby entrance. She was definitely correct.

Perhaps she's out on a break or errand, thought Mafuyu. She'd check back later. After all, it wasn't like this was the only time she'd be able to meet up with Kato-san.

Mafuyu wondered whether she should head back home for today. _But wait, no_ , she thought. She was already here and it was too much trouble to keep on returning to a place when she could just "strike when the iron's hot." Yes...now was definitely the best chance. Hayasaka was left in her apartment by himself, still out cold. When she woke up early in the morning to shower, she could hear his snoring from the bathroom. He could handle himself if he woke up, Mafuyu thought. After all, knowing how Hayasaka was now, she made sure to write a note stating her whereabouts and what she would plan to do.

Turning around the corner, she almost immediately ran headlong into a group of several faculty and staff members scurrying around. Papers flew as employees, mostly attractive young women, bustled around in their high heels and suits.

"The Director's representative just called. He's visiting!"

"The Director's rep, Kobayashi? Really?"

"Yeah, he's coming in just a few minutes! It's the first time in ages! We better get this place nice and clean before he gets here!"

"Oh my god, the rep! Let's hope he just comes and goes quickly!"

"And it's not just any visit! He'll be here in fifteen! With a main benefactor! Everyone, get your act together!"

"Get out of my way! He's almost here!"

Yelping, Mafuyu tried her best to get out of the way as she pressed herself against the wall. _What exactly was happening now?_ The way the school moved seemed so efficient since the last time she stepped through its doors. Perhaps it was because Takaomi-kun really knew what he was doing as director?

Like clockwork, the administrative building's flurry accelerated its pace until there was nothing left but an immaculate sense of order, at least from the outside. Everyone settled into their places to greet the chairman. A few office workers lingered at the front of the door to be the welcoming party. It was how it was done, she gathered. _Sheesh._ So much decorum.

Venturing closer to the front of the lobby, Mafuyu looked on curiously. Also, didn't they say director or representative-something? Was it going to be—

"Welcome to Midori Ga Oka Academy!"

The doors burst open. The few office workers that stood by the door fell back into a pin straight line as they greeted the representative with a bow. _Takaomi-kun?_ No...it couldn't be. It wouldn't be. Oh.

It...wasn't.

Wait...it _wasn't_?

Mafuyu peered to see the new entourage.

At the door frame stood several people ushering in a tall, pale young man with sharp features and chestnut hair, sporting a smart, sleek suit.

At the tall man's side stood a shorter, considerably plumper and older man, also well-dressed, with an oily complexion and a barely disguised comb-over. The plump man spoke, his raspy voice holding a jolly, gregarious tone as it echoed loudly in the hallways. He almost danced as he walked, leading the way through the main entrance with a waltz.

"Miura-san, as our dearest and most generous donator, please take a look at our academy's new improvements! We've been steadily improving our facilities during the holidays! Look at our floors! Our state of the art system and our impeccable staff working away as we start again in September!"

Mafuyu could see the plump man gesturing grandly at the modern office space as the young man surveyed the scene. The plump man continued in this enthusiastic manner as they walked around the lobby leisurely. "See here and here. And here! HERE TOO!" He continued to gesticulate wildly at various areas of the facility.

"Oh. Aha. I see. Charming." The young man's voice held a mellow, muted tone as he followed the short man, who was currently wrapped up in his self-induced ecstasy.

"With your support Miura-san, we are turning this school into the best academic institution in the prefecture!"

 _Hmmm. Well_. A representative? Was he supposed to be the man Takaomi-kun hired to maintain the school? Guy seemed to be doing his job well. Mafuyu watched blankly as the little bald man worked himself into a tizzy before reaching into his pocket to blot away the beads of sweat from his thick neck with a small handkerchief. He continued to talk to the young man, listing performance-level statistics of years-past as the young man's eyes started to glaze over. Off in the distance, the rest of the staff started to melt away from their welcoming posts, returning to their offices. Hurried footsteps started to grow as they echoed in the lobby. Snapping back to reality, Mafuyu realized she was here for something. Walking towards Kato-san's office again, she'd talk with her about lunch and—

WHAM.

Mafuyu stumbled back. A lady carrying a sizable stack of loose papers struggled to regain her balance.

"I apologize. Please excuse me," a feminine voice from behind the stack said. Hurried footsteps continued to make their way down the hall into the lobby. A flick of a dark ponytail caught Mafuyu's eye as the lady passed the corridor and made her way into a conference room. _Kato-san…?_

"Hey—excuse me...wait!" Mafuyu called out. Was it really Kato-san? Turning the corner, Mafuyu walked hurriedly across the lobby, only to...trip and fall on the lobby's carpet.

_Geh!_

Face planting in a public place. She would never live this down.

"Oh! Oh ho! Young lady, are you okay?" The oily-faced representative bounded across the lobby towards her.

Jumping to her feet quickly before she was helped, Mafuyu brushed herself off. She looked up.

"Yes, I…"

She made eye contact. Mafuyu wished that the ground would swallow her up.

The representative and this Miura-san benefactor had strange looks on their faces as they eyed her. Her eye contact lasted a little longer than expected as the Miura-san guy's gaze morphed into one that eyed her with interest and fascination.

 _Aah...yes. I am never working here,_ she thought.

With that as a final send-off, Kurosaki started to back away. Slowly.

And then she bolted.

…

_Damn you Takaomi-kun!_

Mafuyu didn't look back to see the young man known as Miura-san eye her with curiosity, hiding a slight chuckle as he saw the girl round the corner.

Turning to the representative, he lolled his head back in amusement.

"Representative Kobayashi. Just...who was that?"

"Miura-san...I don't know."

"What department is she in? Please tell her that I'd like to see her around sometime."

"What for? Ah, oh...I mean..."

"Ah. Well." Miura-san looked thoughtful for a moment, as he considered why. "It would be interesting to get to know the culture of the campus through different perspectives. I'd like to know more about what type of administration the institution holds. On a...more personal level, I suppose." Miura-san averted his gaze as he spoke, fidgeting as he scratched his neck bashfully.

Kobayashi's cheeks colored. "Ah, yes! Right away! I'll get her name, sir."

Miura-san's eyes lit up for the first time during his visit with anticipation. "Fantastic."

* * *

The summer mornings of Midori Ga Oka Academy were...far from relaxed.

Administrative staff and the registrar's office scurried around as they ran their projects during the summer. Chatter filled the hallways during lunch hours. Fax machines and calls were up and running since the office opened at 7:00 AM. The near-inaudible whirring of the central air conditioning system staved off the immense heat from the outside.

That was why the central cooling system was the only reason Shinobu Yui could withstand hiding within the panels of the lobby's floor board area since...six in the morning. Having had no proper time to really assess the new building's floor plans since his red-eye train from Tokyo, he was pressed for time, and well, it was the best he could do. Hidden under a rug under some loose floor boards.

...It was really genius.

Everything he heard was pitch perfect, not to mention, pretty juicy.

He heard that Yoko-san from the HR department was going to get engaged soon, and that Eri-san and Kyoko-san from Alumni Relations were going to get their nails done in the best boutique downtown on Thursday, thanks to the groupon they got from that one popular coffee shop down the street, you know, the one that sells ice cream with cookie bits on Saturdays.

_Oh yes._

Smirking to himself, Shinobu Yui couldn't feel more proud of his ability. He didn't even need to take notes. He heard Yoko-san's correspondence at 7:37am and Eri-san and Kyoko-san's correspondence at 9:03am. He had the mind of an absolute genius. An encyclopedia. A treasure trove for the sheer knowledge of his beloved Miyabi-sama—

"The Director's representative just called. He's visiting!"

"The Director's rep? Really?"

"Yeah, he's coming in just a few minutes! It's the first time in ages! We better get this place nice and clean before he gets here!"

"Ahhh...Kobayashi! Let's hope it's a quick visit-we really don't need this right now!"

Shinobu could hear a huge commotion all of a sudden. What was this ruckus about? A benefactor? Something something? Fluttering of papers and shoes bustling about made way for a burst of chaos that obscured his usually crystal clear hearing. Shinobu wondered if he should have chosen the walls in this case, or the ceiling. But no. The floor had the crawl space he needed to get to one room and others without any obstruction of support and balance beams. He knew that this was the only way to really get around.

Switching on the taps that he had planted early on in the morning near the plants and on the walls, Shinobu could hear more conversations about the latest gossip and what not.

He started to scurry around underneath, making his way around the panels like a majestic...cockroach. Or beetle. Miyabi-sama would be impressed by his adaptive dexterity.

Why was Shinobu underground in a reconnaissance suit, you say? Why couldn't he just stay in a remote room while listening in on the conversations like any normal human being would, you ask?

Well. That just wouldn't be thorough enough for a mission given to him by Miyabi-sama, now would it?

He was switching through the channels of the various mics to get a larger picture of the discussions at the school to learn just what was going on.

Shinbou thought back to his mental notes from listening into the wire tap.

First, the benefactor. Some hot shot named Miura-san, he'd heard. An eligible bachelor type with an interest in education. His father was a well-off official in the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Perhaps playing up the humanitarian route before jumping into the hustle that was politics. Predictable of a politician's son, to get in a solid rep established beforehand. Dirty bastard.

And...the Director's rep. Kobayashi, he'd gathered from somewhere else, in the administrative lounge. An older man who had been deeply and pervasively active in Tokyo's educational landscape for so long. Typical of him to go from school to school, as he'd help other institutions build themselves up. Oddly enough, it seemed that every school he had been a part of had crumbled after his leave. Each time, it was stated that it was due to the financial precariousness of each school, and the fact that Kobayashi had been their rock. His tenure at Midori Ga Oka had been his longest stay at any academic institution, and it didn't seem that he would leave any time soon. Perhaps he found his calling here at Midori Ga Oka? Hard to tell.

Shinobu strained to hear the talk before footsteps above him garnered his attention. Two male voices were heard over head. _Aha, well. Speak of the devil_ , he thought. Miura and Kobayashi were right above him.

WHAM.

A loud thump from over head shocked Shinobu as he heard random scuffling and a girl stuttering. Almost sounded like a voice he'd heard countless times before. Suddenly running. And a curious conversation ensued. _Fantastic_ , Shinobu heard the man named Miura say.

"Ah, what's this?" Shinobu could hear the older man Kobayashi say.

Rustling of paper.

"A resume...Kurosaki Mafuyu? The young lady must have dropped it…" Kobayashi could be heard flipping the page from front to back. "Ah, a professional applicant it seems. She doesn't belong to any department, Miura-san."

"Kurosaki Mafuyu-san," repeated Miura-san, his voice slightly distant, in an inexplicable way.

"WHAAAAT," Shinobu found himself shouting from beneath the floorboards at the revelation. _Kurosaki, here on campus, of all_ —

_Ah._

More shuffling of feet above as the two men above him jumped in surprise. Yelling ensued.

"Kobayashi! Are you sure this building isn't haunted?"

"Miura-san, not to worry—the creaking of these traditionally-built floor boards are only calling for a renovation! We will rely on your gracious support!"

Cover blown. He'd have to return later. Skittering away underground in a flash, Shinobu would make an exit. He'll collect the mics later as they record conversations in the meantime. And, of course, he will report to Miyabi-sama as soon as he could help it.

* * *

The first realization that came to Hayasaka was: there was a slug eating his left cheek.

It was big, furry and wet, and it was stuck, plastered onto his face like a cold leech despite his being in hot weather. And...strangely enough, Hayasaka wanted to admit it felt nice.

Mmm. It felt nice that a big furry slug was sucking face with the left side of his head while he slept.

...

As if there were furry slugs that existed. Hayasaka's eyes remained closed as his brows furrowed in concentration. _Strange,_ he thought. Reaching up, he peeled it off his face, blinking blearily.

_A wet...washcloth?_

Blearily blinking away his drowsiness, Hayasaka rubbed his eyes. Where was he? Hands going up, he shielded his eyes from the sun. The room he was in was bright as ever, the groan of the air conditioning doing little to keep the tiny apartment room cool. Looking around, his vision started to clear.

Hayasaka was laying eagle-spread across a small cream-colored futon, his lean legs hanging over the edge and onto the floor. A thin blanket hung off to the side, entwining one of his ankles. His jacket was missing. The pillows remained damp and cold from the wet washcloth and all the tossing and turning he did throughout the night, and despite the warm summer heat, he wanted to sneeze.

Looking to the nightstand beside the bed, he reached out for a glass of water that had been sitting there for awhile, miniscule bubbles of air already collecting inside the glass. His throat was parched and his head was still clearing from a massive headache. _Had he been dehydrated?_

Sitting up and drinking the tepid water, Hayasaka could feel the last of his headache dissipating. Finishing it, he let out a sigh.

_Ah, yeah..._

So much for taking care of himself. With his senior project underway, he had been single-mindedly focusing on its development, along with other things. And as for Kurosaki...well...

Hayasaka blinked, setting down the empty glass quietly. Kurosaki had been... _okay._ That was pretty much it. Even though he didn't get all the answers and everything counting up to what he last remembered was a blur, bottom line was, it was no big deal. Because she was okay. No bruises or whatever. Picking up the small note next to the glass, he read her plans for the day quietly.

Hayasaka felt himself sink back into complacency and a tinge of deep-seated embarrassment. He would never admit that it was silly, that he was stressing over nothing when she had been fine.

And if there _really_ was something wrong, well...he was here now and that was pretty much all that mattered.

Finding out that Kurosaki was quite independent pleased him and left him feeling, as much as he would have liked to deny it, a bit forlorn. Had she really changed in all the years they've been separated?

Kurosaki was...special. She was...how could you say it? Her presence in his life right now was like a memento from Natsuo and Usa-Chan-Man. Well, more than that. And...well, she was pretty awesome as a friend. Of course, he'd never tell her that either.

He remembered how she decided to go to college in the area. _Let's try our very best, Hayasaka-kun,_ she said. While it was fine that they were apart, she had always been reliable about keeping in touch. His eyes softened at the thought.

Hayasaka read through the note left by the glass of water once more. _Some food in the fridge, I'm going to go out for a job consultation, I'll be back in the evening so drink lots of water and rest, spare key is on the kitchen counter,_ she had written to him, in neater handwriting than the haphazard script he remembered in high school. She had really thought of everything, he decided, as he folded the blankets of her futon.

Making his way over to the fridge, Hayasaka peered inside. His eyes narrowed.

A few half eaten dishes remained on the shelves, their disarray a somewhat pitiable state.

…

 _Ah well._ He sighed, half in exasperation, half in amusement. Some things just don't change.

Putting on a change of clothes from his bag, and snatching up the key, Hayasaka made his way outside for some groceries. It was the least he could do for Kurosaki putting him up like this. She'll have something to return to when she gets back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N.
> 
> Well. This is awkward. How do I begin to explain myself to those of you guys who have been fans of this work over the past four years? Do you still have any interest in this story at all, I wonder? Maybe. Do I have an excuse for taking this long to put down something? Yes and no. Am I sad that I haven't been present to deliver something? Yes.
> 
> I felt compelled and determined to at least write something in hopes to jump start the completion of this fic after so long. Real life in the past four years has been really something. I moved cross-continentally for jobs that I never thought I would have had the chance to take, I'm attending grad school for further professional development, and well...I'm in a very different place I was in when I had first started this fic, when I was only a new, scared and wide-eyed college grad, just like our Mafuyu in this story here. The beta reader I had been in touch with since the start of this story has been long gone and disappeared after her move, regrettably. And life picked up like a whirlwind, leaving me no time to breathe.
> 
> And my love and fondness for Oresama Teacher, while still here, has been pretty stagnant, what with its slow serialization and the lack of online translations. Regardless, as I had mentioned before, I feel compelled to give my stories completion and see them through the end. This story will have an end. After so long, I'd decided to pick up where I left off to see if I can get in the groove of writing, and while it's been hard, this story deserves an ending. Hoping that there will be a chance to at least write this story with the same momentum as before.
> 
> And to you, who have loved this story, who have cared for it, reviewed, and followed, thank you. Look forward to more chapters soon.


	8. Office Hustle

"Did you hear? We've just made a new hire!"

"For the receptionist position?"

"Who's free to train the new hire tomorrow?"

"Yes! I won't have to do copies or phone calls anymore! Woo!"

"Who's the new receptionist?"

The office was pretty busy. And chattier than expected, it seemed.

One would guess because of the tight knit office culture with mostly women, it was more social than she'd expected, Mafuyu thought. She held her head up high, skin still flushed with high hopes after the last few minutes that had just passed before. She made her way out of the chrome sleekness that was Midori Ga Oka's administration building with a renewed sense of hope and fullness in her heart.

Mafuyu came into Midori Ga Oka Academy Thursday morning with the intent of only getting a consultation for a job, but within two hours, she had walked out of the place with said job secured after a fifteen minute interview and a couple of handshakes, after finally finding Kato-san among the offices.

Unlike the decorum that she saw before with the entrance of the Director's rep called Kobayashi and the benefactor Miura-san, Kato-san's impossible efficiency and the ludicrous informality of the school office's hiring process didn't seem real, but it happened. Kato-san had outdone herself with her follow-up, and only a couple of questions were asked before the panel of ladies sat back in their seats, nodding approvingly at Mafuyu.

"So. When can you start?" One interviewer stated, smiling, as she poured over Mafuyu's documents. She shuffled the papers a bit before handing them over to her officemate next to her. "Perhaps tomorrow?" The whole thing seemed impossibly easy and nonchalant.

"Huh? Ah." Mafuyu was truly taken aback.

"You came at the most opportune time, and based on your qualifications, coursework, and Kato-san's referral, we didn't think to look any further. You'll be doing part-time office work, paid-hourly, with reception duty. Responsibilities will increase of course, along with benefits and pay, if qualifications are met. It's a start, and I think it will help you," the leading interviewer rattled off, without missing a beat. Her officemate had already started stamping documents to give to Mafuyu to fill out for processing.

Mafuyu could only nod her head silently and disbelievingly as her interviewers finalized the idea that she'd start the next day, even though it was the end of the week. "Better yet to start training early so that you can officially jump into work on Monday," they had said. Picking herself up, Mafuyu had half the mind to bow deeply and thank her interviewers and to Kato-san, and made her way out of the glass doors of the building.

She had ran out of the building jumping and shouting joyously, arms outstretched to the sun with feelings that seemed too light to even discernibly identify. But yes. _YES!_ Wow.

She did it. Finally, a job. She felt good. It wasn't the best job, but it was a start, and now she was getting somewhere.

She'd have to thank Kato-san later.

Flushed in the face from the opportunity that had been handed to her, Mafuyu made her way to the school's canteen on campus to mull over her current situation, and plan ahead. Given the state of her life back at home, and the impending issues that had been happening, she figured that at least this would provide stability. After filling out the forms for hire, she gratefully deposited them to the office, where she would begin work tomorrow.

 _And...I didn't need Takaomi-kun's help one bit,_ she thought, with vindication.

A twinge of regret and uneasiness settled into her veins after thinking about him, his presence wrecking the monotony of her life so quickly and suddenly like a supernova, only leaving trace embers in his wake, just two days before. Ironic that she ended up getting a job just like that at the very institution that held him as her ultimate professional boss, given he was school director. _Ugh._ She didn't have too much to think about just yet.

Making her way back home after an eventful and fruitful day, she saw the orange glow of the sunlight hit the walls of the condominium hallway as she opened the door of her apartment.

"I'm home," she called out to no one, or so it seemed.

A faint, fresh scent of soba and spring onions hit her nose as she made her way to the kitchen. She perked up. Ah yes, that's right. She had a guest.

"Welcome back," Hayasaka called from the counter, and upon seeing her, and setting out a plate—one of two that Mafuyu had in the kitchen, they ate in mostly companionable silence for the first half of the meal.

Mafuyu beamed from her seat to mention her new job to her dear friend. It lifted her spirits to at least do this much, to eat with someone, and talk with them as if they had never been apart. It was almost like being back in high school during study breaks, with something akin to Ayaben's unforgettable cooking and the good times. "I'll pay you back for the meal once I make my first paycheck," she told Hayasaka, eating slowly to savor the meal that he'd made for them.

"Don't mention it," Hayasaka said distractedly.

They talked about the times that they spent apart, and aside from a few more mentions of Takaomi's sudden visit and equally sudden departure, Mafuyu and Hayasaka mostly caught up with each other, and for once, it's as if everything was going to be fine.

They were almost done washing the dishes when Hayasaka-kun brought it up again. "So. Do you think he'll be coming back? Saeki-sensei, I mean. I still don't understand," he said more to himself than to Mafuyu.

Mafuyu wondered about that too. "I don't know...not sure."

Mafuyu watched as Hayasaka gave her a wave and a pat on the head, and carried his duffel bag out. His face looked a little pensive and stubbornly set. "I meant to stay at a hotel the previous night...the meal was just to pay my dues. This was just supposed to be a quick trip, but I'll give you some space," he said, leaving his hotel address behind. "Thanks, Kurosaki. I'll be around to check in on you."

Mafuyu found herself flushing at his concern. "Alright. Take care, Hayasaka-kun." _And thank you, of course, for everything._ She added mentally, feeling a bit uncharacteristically bashful as she watched him take his leave. She stared, waving him off as he made his way down to the street, hailing a cab, before taking off.

The door closed. It was silent. And that was that.

The place seemed lonelier and emptier than ever before, even with the humming of cicadas and the whirring of the air conditioner. She stood in the stillness for a bit, unsure of whether or not to welcome the peace that now existed. Entering her room, and upon seeing the folded blankets of her futon, Mafuyu laid them out hesitantly. She found Hayasaka's forgotten jacket in the corner of her room, the one that she wrestled off of him when he collapsed yesterday. Grabbing her phone, she gave him a text.

_Hayasaka-kun, you left your jacket here. Come back to get it whenever you'd like._

_Sure thing_ , he replied, almost immediately.

She smiled at his reliability.

 _Ah,_ she remembered.

A niggling thought popped into her head of Hayasaka-kun and Takaomi-kun both having used the covers, their scents intertwined.

Face heating up from the implied intimacy, Mafuyu shook her head, and reluctantly gathered enough energy to change the blankets for new ones. Tomorrow was a fresh start, and her life deserved to have a fresh start too.

Preparing for tomorrow, Mafuyu settled into clean sheets, ready for her first day on the job. In the end, it was nice to be back in her bed, the way it was supposed to be, without any of the concerns that came with men who entered and came into her life so suddenly and left just as quickly.

* * *

_Shiiiiit._

Friday evening couldn't have come fast enough.

Mafuyu finally felt the full day's work on her shoulders and in her legs that she passed out on her bed. Her futon covers remained barely peeled back, with her rumpled blouse and skirt on still, her legs hanging off the side of her mattress, and shoes strewn on the floor.

It was a good but strenuous first day on the job. Face down into her covers, Mafuyu silently reviewed her accomplishments. As with any new job, there was a bit of hazing, and she felt a bit more like an intern than an actual employee, but she didn't think it could have gone better.

The schedule she had at work was a bit erratic, but it was due to the fact that she was only in the school for a few hours in the day, and they'd mentioned that she'd be on-call as a part-timer for now. Orientation and training were underway.

Idly, Mafuyu thought about the office culture and the clothes she was supposed to wear. Everyone seemed so stylish. Maybe she should try on the one pair of heels that she bought in college...you know, the one that her college friend Momoko-chan picked out for her when they were preparing for formal events? Mafuyu made a mental note to get out and shop more.

Mafuyu reached up to grab her phone. Thank goodness it was the weekend.

 _Saturday_ , she thought. An outing with Banchou in the afternoon tomorrow, she remembered fondly, sending him a text to confirm. Maybe there would be a chance for Hayasaka-kun to meet them as well, since he's in town.

Shooting off a couple of messages to the both of them to coordinate tomorrow, Mafuyu found her eyes growing heavier. She would look forward to a relaxing weekend after working so hard today.

She was so close to the brink of sleeping, that she didn't even realize that there was an increasingly incessant noise that grew louder and louder, until it startled her awake.

_Tap, tap, tap._

_Tap, tap._

She sat up. _What in the hell._ The tapping sounded like a pigeon's beak against glass. With weary eyes, Mafuyu peered out in the darkened room to see the moonlight streaming into the cracks of the curtains. The light cast a dreamy blue tint across her floor. The clinking sounded like it was coming from the glass doors leading to the apartment balcony.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

Oh god. It was even more insistent than before. Mafuyu could feel the goosebumps break out on her skin as the frequency of the tapping noises increased.

 _What the living hell was it?_ Dragging herself up, she could feel the feeling of dread that she had grown so accustomed to feeling this past week pooling in her stomach uncomfortably. "Hello?" She called out to thin air.

"Yah, who is it?"

Mafuyu felt her fear settle and convert itself into a renewed sense of alertness, despite her exhaustion. She slid open the balcony's glass door. "Hel—"

Mafuyu didn't even have time to yell when she felt hands grab her arm and drag her away, legs flailing violently.

...

All that was left was a slipper left in the wake of the yellow curtains of her room, in the moonlight, the balcony door left open.

* * *

It was an odd night to say the least.

At least for one who managed to stay awake in the long evenings, especially on Fridays, at the top of a penthouse suite in downtown Tokyo's urban area. The moon was brighter than it had ever been in times before, meaning that there was something to look for, and that there was activity afoot that would soon come to light...

Long, slender fingers traced documents on the expansive desk once again, the soft hum of the air conditioning keeping the room icy and temperate, the floor dark, with the lights turned off, in just the way he preferred. The moonlight gave more light than he would have liked, but the wall-to-wall windows were good for surveying the view when he felt like he needed to. Now, he found himself looking at the expanse of the Tokyo skyline more than ever, wondering why and where these events were taking place in the bustling streets below...

There would be no mistaking it this time.

Saeki Takaomi had been seen recently around the district, and it had apparently started to make a few select people nervous and quite excited. Namely, people like his father, and others involved in real estate and businesses, from what he knew.

He saw some of his father's acquaintances make their moves like they always did, under the tables, with smooth, smiling faces or impassive expressions. Now, with Saeki Takaomi's presence affirmed, the exchanges had escalated tenfold.

Hanabusa Miyabi laughed at the hilarity of it all.

There was no limit to imagining how many middle-aged men would be willing to construct and play a stupid little game like this, but then again, Miyabi thought to himself that one day he'd be one of them, a middle-aged man with nothing else better to do but to throw around ludicrous amounts of money and busy himself with gossip and intrigue. So, he might as well get comfortable involving himself when he could.

Like housewives, middle-aged businessmen needed to do something exciting with themselves. But unlike housewives watching their rom-com dramas, middle-aged businessmen were the types to embroil themselves in legal battles and embezzlement for fun.

A type of gambling, so to speak.

Win or lose.

Corporate darwinism, at its best.

In this case, there were claims to the school being made, even now. Ever since his father had lost the school in that grand, grand deal to its heir apparent, Saeki Takaomi, there were movements to get it back from various parties, due to all of the promises made to them. Somewhere along the way, in desperation to keep the land for real estate, his father had dragged too many people into the fray.

Promises that the school's land was prime for taking, that it held incredible potential to be the area for a new hub for urban development, that oil or even gold was buried deep in the natural land the school sat on…

His father's numerous associates and acquaintances salivated over the thought, and dealings and investments were made until they'd unwittingly turned the school into the state-of-the-art institution it now was for college preparatory—a truly priceless investment, which Saeki Takaomi brilliantly wrestled away from them at the last minute.

Too many people stirring the pot eventually contributed to the mix that resulted in the current reality of Midori Ga Oka Academy—a school that was run by sit-in staff, a hidden director having ambiguous publicity as a possible fugitive, and the school's immense wealth of sitting money that had been made with closed off deals. Passing the school's name around during those dealings ultimately made it into a cult favorite among the elite, who were now sending their children to the school. And currently, political benefactors were making their bids for contribution. It had become the real deal; a premier educational institution.

And just _where_ was Saeki Takaomi in all of this?

Well, that was the mystery.

His very ambiguity and prolonged absence unnerved and infuriated the typical pool of corporate big wigs involved in the farce. Frustrated, they had started rumors of Saeki's reasons for not joining in the machinations that surrounded the school's real estate.

And then there was his alleged past as a delinquent...perhaps even being part of a criminal gang, that so many corporate players wanted to prove, but couldn't. The rumors remained pervasive but behind closed doors, and now they were coming to a head again, as they had three years ago, when it got public, but minor news coverage.

It was all going to be clear now.

There was much to learn, Miyabi thought, and even though this business of intrigue and gossip was a sad thing to get involved in, he would eventually resign himself to it, as a businessman joining the fray in dizzying, nonsensical dealings, the way others in the Tokyo elite did before him.

It was why he was raised the way he was. It was why he went to the top university in Tokyo. It was why he lived such an unsatisfactorily comfortable lifestyle. But at least he'd promised himself that he'd have fun doing it, Miyabi thought half-heartedly. At least there will be a way for him to find some entertainment, he supposed.

And at least, _at the very least,_ there would be a way to help those he...

Miyabi felt his hand tighten around a document he was holding, his thoughts dissolving into nothingness.

Who would he help? _Others? His father?_

He just wanted to have the fun that he'd always had. To create a dream world where no one would have to worry about such matters. Manipulation was only but a half-baked byproduct for what he _really_ wanted; a means for something else.

He just wanted those around him to be happy, to feel safe, to feel—

"Miyabi-sama," a voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, Shinobu," Miyabi quickly schooled his face into the familiar veneer that he let everyone else see. "Your findings. Do tell."

"Seems as if the school's administration has been under scrutiny. They are unaware that he's around, except those in the upper echelon of the school," Shinobu said breathlessly, from a kneeling position. "It seems that the other forces though have been joining in. Strange people have been preparing to make their way onto the campus. The representative Kobayashi has been touting the school's wealth to other benefactors. The most generous of them is Miura Koichi-san."

 _Ah yes,_ Miyabi thought. Miura-san was just beginning his debut as a corporate professional, having graduated a couple years before them from their university. He was smart, but not nearly as cunning as he should have been by the time he had graduated. Miyabi would keep tabs on him later.

"Also, Eri-san and Kyoko-san are going dress shopping for Eri-san's wedding next Thursday, after smoothies and the gym," Shinobu added.

 _Uh,_ Miyabi faltered internally. He still didn't know why Shinobu ingratiated himself to learn the lives of office workers during his reconnaissance.

"And Kurosaki…"

"Oh?" Miyabi perked up.

"Kurosaki Mafuyu," Shinobu stated, a strange expression giving way on his face.

"Your dear friend," Miyabi said gently, eyes softening a tad, face unreadable. "How is she?"

"She's been applying to work at Midori Go Oka."

"Ohhhhh? As a teacher?" Miyabi's eyes were bright with delight. _How interesting!_

"She's been hired as an administrative secretary to take on reception duties."

Miyabi sat up, not even bothering to hide his excitement, his smile widening to a grin. With Kurosaki Mafuyu around, things were bound to be as interesting as ever before. _Brilliant, just brilliant!_ It was as if Christmas had come early for him.

"She seemed to have a good first day," Shinobu said softly.

Miyabi was restless in his chair. He needed to stand. Getting up, he took a brief look at the Tokyo skyline, its lights glittering so alluringly, so brightly, with the full moon out.

"Miyabi-sama…?" Shinobu questioned hesitatingly.

"Shinobu, stand up," Miyabi could barely contain his mirth, his voice jubilant. He cleared his throat, smoothing down the front of his shirt, composing himself. "The weekend is ahead of us. It's time for us to get started."

Taking large steps forward, Miyabi strode over to a closet, grabbing a jacket close to the eleventh hour on Friday night, the evening still young, as Shinobu followed behind him.

And, from the outside of the Hanabusa Grand Prince Hotel down below, surveyors could see the lights in the hotel's penthouse suite flicker on brightly, for the first time ever in its use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N.
> 
> So. Now you more or less know what the general issue is. This chapter was exposition more so than anything else to get you guys into the main meat of the mystery. Basically, Hanabusa's father made a hot mess, and Takaomi is in the eye of the storm, as always.
> 
> What is to become of the situation? Also, what is it with Mafuyu and all of these unexpected encounters (poor girl can never get a break, can she)? Also, it's been a long time since then, but if you remember Chapter 3, Mafuyu was supposed to meet up with Banchou...on Saturday. And well, with it being Friday night, will she make it in time to see him? Just what are Miyabi and Shinobu going to do? Also, I know that there are a few OCs popping up, but that is only because we need them to get the plot rolling. They're mostly inconsequential. Or _are_ they?
> 
> Also, for those of you still itching for more, I have published an explicit stand alone one-shot called _After Burn_ , as a sequel to my M-rated fic from 2013, _Slow Burn_. Please read and review it when you get the chance. It's good to be back, folks. I hope that I haven't lost my touch.
> 
> As always, I hope that you've enjoyed. Please tune in next time, and please tell me your thoughts and predictions of what you expect to happen.
> 
>  
> 
> _Reviews, constructive criticism and suggestions are appreciated always! :D_


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